Icheb
by jamelia116
Summary: In the beginning, he did not know who or what he was. Rescued from a dying Borg cube by Seven and the crew of Voyager, the neonatal drone originally designated "Second" becomes Icheb, a valued part of Voyager's crew. Episode extensions and missing scenes to "Collective," "Child's Play," "The Haunting of Deck 12," "Unimatrix Zero I & II," "Drive," and "Imperfection."
1. Newborn

Author's Introductory Note:

All reviews are VERY MUCH appreciated. Thanks, in advance, to anyone who reviews this story.

Disclaimer: This story is of the "episode extension/missing scenes" variety. Paramount and the producers of Star Trek: Voyager own all aspects of the episodes themselves. I make no claim of ownership, other than to have imagined events which were either implied or "could have happened" off screen. In order to make the story coherent, I have also also described or quoted extensively from scenes in the episodes portrayed to help the readers recall what happened. As a result, in some sections, many events and much of the dialogue come directly from the scripts. I must give credit to those who created them, since this story would not exist without their work as presented on the series. The episodes from which I've most extensively quoted directly or paraphrased in some way include the following:

"Collective": Teleplay by Michael Taylor, from a story by Andrew Shepard Price and Mark Gaberman.

"Child's Play": Teleplay by Raf Green, from a story by Paul Brown.

"The Haunting of Deck Twelve": Teleplay by Mike Sussman and Kenneth Biller & Brian Fuller, from a story by Mike Sussman.

"Unimatrix Zero, Part I": Teleplay by Brannon Braga & Joe Menosky, from a story by Mike Sussman.

"Unimatrix Zero, Part II": Teleplay by Brannon Braga & Joe Menosky, from a story by Mike Sussman and Brannon Braga & Joe Menosky.

"Drive": Written by Michael Taylor.

"Imperfection": Teleplay by Carleton Eastlake and Robert Doherty, from a story by Andre Bormanis.

I am grateful to the entire creative team, including the actors, directors, and production crews, not only for the way these particular episodes appeared on screen, but for all of the ones presented during the series' run. Thank you all so much!

I must also give credit to all the work Jim Wright did on his "Delta Blues Reviews" website. The details he included from the episodes, particularly the dialogue sections, are invaluable when completing a story like this. Thanks, Jim!

Finally, last but certainly not least, I must credit Six of Twelve, who wrote "Mezoti's Collective" (which is available on her page on FF . net). In that story, Mezoti remained on _Voyager_ when Azan and Rebi left. In my opinion, that's what she would have chosen to do rather than leave the ship in "Imperfection," but that's not what the series' producers decided. In order to help me understand how she came to the decision to leave, I wrote "I, Mezoti," a log entry tale. Icheb's story is so entwined with hers, I amplified much of what I put into "I, Mezoti" into "Icheb." Thank you, Six of Twelve, for providing the "plot bunny" that prompted me to write both stories.

jamelia116 - 9/19/2017

= /\=

 **Icheb**

by jamelia116

=/\=

A piercing shriek of sound. The clanking of a door opening. Buzzing. Moaning. The smell of burning flesh.

He lay on a hard surface. A gush of liquid had expelled him from his enclosure. He did not know where he was. He had no idea _who_ he was. Metal pieces pierced his flesh in many places, but some were loose and clinking onto the metallic flooring. Lights flickered all around him, barely visible through the smoke billowing out of the metallic constructs surrounding him.

He sat up. Another object that had been on his face fell to the floor, making it easier to see. He looked at his hands, then his body. His torso was encased in some sort of black covering, but a lighter substance covered other places. Skin. Yes, that's what it was called. Skin covers the body of a person. He must be a person. But what exactly is that? What is a person?

Nothing made any sense. Totally confused, he put his head back down on the floor and closed his eyes while he tried to make sense of what was happening to him. To make sense of whatever he was. Instead, he slipped away into unconsciousness.

When he came back to awareness, the moaning sounds had stopped. The awful smells were still there. So was the smokiness, although it didn't seem as bad as before. He was supposed to do something. He sat up. Looking down, he saw those things on the end of his legs. Feet. That's what they were called. He puts his hands down on the hard surface and then he . . . stood up. Yes, that was what he was supposed to do.

Now he was tall enough to examine his surroundings. Images came to him. He was seeing through his eyes. Hearing through his ears. Smelling foul odors through his nose. He'd felt the touch of hardness when he pushed himself off the metal floor. Things were starting to make a little more sense.

He looked down and saw his torso, enclosed within a black substance that was not attached to his skin. Pieces of metal were stuck to him all over. He had a vague sense that this was something new for him, that the surface of his body, in the past, was only covered in skin or in - clothes. Yes, that was what they were called. But now he was not that way anymore. He was a person, true, but now he was also something else.

He was Borg.

He did not know how he knew this. He didn't know how he knew he was anything, really. He had no recollection of what a Borg was. He just knew that's was what he was. The buzzing in his head was from a connection to the Collective, but it was missing. He had been programmed to respond to the commands of the Queen of the Hive, but there were no commands. He could not sense any connections at all, to anyone; and that was wrong.

As he began to walk down the passageways in the cube and looked around, more concepts flooded into his brain. He realized the foul odors were coming from the objects lying in his path. Borg drones were scattered all through the cube. They were just lying there. Something had happened to them. The bad smell was of decaying flesh. The things which were supposed to heal them apparently had failed to work. Their nanoprobes had failed.

He discovered an open place with many consoles. His hand moved out and touched one at a certain place. A screen flickered and then glowed. He had no conscious knowledge of what he needed to do, but his hand seemed to know how to operate the device. A stream of symbols crawled across the screen. They were hauntingly familiar, but he could not understand what they were trying to tell him. He touched another place, and a succession of scenes displayed other metallic corridors. The only thing moving, other than himself, was the greenish mist floating through the corridors. The only sounds he could hear, other than his own breathing, were the hissing of the mist escaping from wherever it was coming from, and the occasional scrape of two metal surfaces rubbing against each other.

Finally, the screen showed something very different. He recognized a black construction with an irregular surface. A myriad of tiny lights hung in the blackness beyond. "Stars, shining in space," he murmured. He realized _he_ was in space, on a space going vessel, a Borg cube.

He was on a space-going Borg vessel, but it seemed to be going nowhere. As the screen returned to views of the interior, he saw drones scattered all over the floors, in every corridor. None of them moved. Another concept came to his mind. The drones were all dead.

Slowly, the new Borg paced down the corridors, back to where he first became aware. He could sense he was supposed to be doing something more, but he had no idea what it was. The images and concepts flooding his brain still made little sense, but he knew they should. They must. If he did not determine what it was he was supposed to do, he knew, intrinsically, that he would join the other drones on the floor. He would stop moving; he would stop taking breaths; and he would stop thinking.

He, too, would be dead.


	2. First and Second

=/\=

When he returned to the place where he began, he saw the chamber which had expelled him for what it was: a Borg maturation chamber. The one which had held him was not the only one in this particular location. There were others. He found he was able to count them. There were six maturation chambers, including his own. Five hummed mechanically, with lights and dials indicating something was going on inside them. Each contained a being floating in bubbling liquid. One was almost as large in size as he was. Two held somewhat smaller beings who looked very much like the same person, only duplicated. Another person was smaller yet, although not that much smaller than the duplicates. The last held a very tiny person.

He looked inside another alcove nearby and saw six more maturation chambers. All of these chambers were dark. Three were empty. The others held persons, but they were as dark and silent as the empty ones. He turned their controls on. Nothing happened. He tried opening their doors using his body strength alone, but they would not budge. He reasoned that the three inside these chambers must have died, like the big drones littering the floors elsewhere in the cube.

The new Borg stood on a dry section of the floor and contemplated all he had learned. He was a Borg. He possessed the form of communication called language, although at the moment, no one was available to speak with him. The concepts of up, down, inside, outside, left and right were all inside his brain, along with many others he had not recognized yet, but knew were there. He did not know if these were all new things to him, or if he had always known them. He wished he could ask someone to guide him. He was a neonatal drone, just as the ones in their own maturation chambers were prenatal drones. Other than the five still developing inside their maturation chambers, he seemed to be the only living being within this space vessel. From the gaps in his knowledge, he suspected he had emerged from his chamber before he had learned all he was supposed to know. He needed to complete his programming.

He returned to the chamber from which he had been expelled and examined the exterior of his maturation chamber again, concentrating on the controls. When he touched one lever, a small amount of liquid splashed inside the chamber. Then it stopped. There was not enough there to cover one of his feet, let alone his entire body. He climbed back into the chamber anyway, thinking an automatic function might engage itself if he did so. Nothing happened. The door of the chamber would not close completely. It was no use. He could not go back inside to finish his programming. He must do the best he could with the knowledge he had already obtained.

He stepped out of the chamber. As he moved down the corridors, he examined the devices lining the walls. They all had a purpose. His purpose was to take care of the devices within the cube in order to keep it running, to provide him with air to breathe and to take care of other needs. Several dead drones were still hanging from stations they were manning at the moment of death. Each had known what each station was supposed to do. He did not.

He realized he could not perform all the tasks that must be done if he was still alone. It took a Collective to operate a cube. There could not be a Collective with only one drone, unconnected to any others. He might die if he did nothing, but without others to help him complete necessary tasks, he would die anyway, just as all the adult drones had died.

The new Borg made a decision. He would wait and see if any of the other neonatal drones would be expelled from their own maturation chambers and awaken, as he had. Once there were two, a Collective was again possible.

He hoped it would not take long. He did not wish to die.

=/\=

Once he'd made this decision, instinct took him to an alcove along the wall of the corridor, just outside of the area occupied by the maturation chambers. He stepped back, and immediately, a connection was made. Electrical current raced through his body, feeding his biological body parts and removing waste products at the same time the mechanical parts were fed and tuned to the frequency which should have connected him to the Hive in general. There was no connection, however, just the sense there should be one. While he was regenerating, more facts about the cube and the tasks which must be done to keep it operational were fed into his brain. In a very short time, his assumption that he could not possibly keep up with all those tasks by himself was confirmed. He had to have help.

He spent 14.777 time units connected to the regeneration cubicle before he heard an alarm sound. The cubicle he occupied shut down. He understood that his own regeneration cycle was now complete, but the alarm was not coming from his cubicle. It came from the area in which the maturation chambers were located. One or more of them might be opening now.

He walked out of his cubicle and into the maturation chamber area. A newly born drone was sitting on the floor, blinking and looking around, taking in his surroundings. Several small metallic and mechanical objects were scattered near him, along with the liquid that had been expelled with him when the door to this drone's chamber had opened. As the first drone came near, the new one stood on his feet and stared at him with his single biological eye. The other was obscured by a mechanical device, similar to the ones on the faces of many of the deceased drones. Second wondered if this new drone could see him through that device, or if it provided a different type of view than biological eyes did.

Before he could think of anything else, this new Borg announced, "I am First. You are Second. Come with me."

The one who had called himself First stalked down the corridor. After a moment's hesitation, Second followed First. He was unsure if he was supposed to do this, but since the other drone seemed to know things he did not, it seemed best to follow the new Borg's directions. One thing he did realize. Since he had been the first born, he should be called First. The other's designation should be Second. From the nature of the thoughts First was communicating to him via their cortical nodes, however, he realized that First had been in his maturation chamber much longer than Second had. He knew details about what must be done which Second did not. When First spoke, his voice was clear. It did not have the wavery vibration that Second's did. First's programming must be far more complete.

While he was not pleased his natural position had been usurped, Second made another decision. It was better to be guided by another drone who knew what to do rather than flounder at tasks he could not complete by himself. He accepted the designation of Second.

=/\=


	3. A Collective

=/\=

For many time units the two of them checked over the Borg cube's essential systems as they explored the entire vessel. As Second had perceived, the cube was hanging motionless in space, and no other drones were alive. Rather than try to keep the environment active throughout, First ordered Second to help shut down vast areas of the cube to conserve power and make it easier for them to operate the cube. First ordered Second to drag the bodies of the dead drones in critical areas into locations further away, so the smell of decomposition was not as strong in the spaces they were occupying. In between their tasks, they checked on the remaining active maturation chambers to see what was happening inside them.

Three more times, alarms sounded in the area of the maturation chambers. Three more neonatal drones were born. At the time of their expulsion from their chambers, bits of metal which had failed to attach to their bodies also splashed out with the liquid which had surrounded them before birth. First ordered Second to clean the floors while he examined each of the new drones by himself.

Now that they were out of their chambers, the duplicated ones turned out to be twins of the male gender. First proclaimed them to be Three and Four. The slightly smaller, female drone was given the designation Five. None of them had completed their indoctrination into how to be a functioning drone, either. First claimed he did have this knowledge. He organized the drones into a working Collective and provided instructions. Since he did seem to know what he was doing, Second followed First's lead. It seemed the most efficient way to assure their survival.

=/\=

Now that five operational drones were available, more tasks could be accomplished. They learned to coordinate their efforts as a Collective subvocally, through their cortical nodes. The benefit for Second was that the connection permitted the five to share information about the ship's systems quickly. They had not all been in maturation chambers for the same amount of time, and the information provided to each drone had not necessarily been given in the same order. In many situations, however, the five found it easier to speak aloud. Whichever mode of language they used, they completed their tasks with a degree of efficiency, if not as smoothly as Second's perception of the way fully adult drones did them. There were, after all, only five capable of function, on a cube that normally was operated by a thousand times more drones.

The first task was to make sure the life support systems were working as they should. The second thing they needed to do was confirm that the cube's protective shields were functioning properly. After attaining this goal, even before they tried to reestablish the cube's propulsion system, they tried to contact the Collective, requesting assistance from a greater number of drones. Working together, they sent out a message via their cortical nodes. There was no answering message to this distress call. Second took the miniature Collective to the place he had found during his first explorations of the cube. Using the equipment in this area, another message was sent out, using the cube's more powerful communication device, detailing their urgent need for assistance. The only answer was a jumble of symbols that meant nothing to any of them, even First.

 _/Our messages cannot have reached the Queen. We must find a way to amplify our signals,/_ First told them subvocally. _/We must assimilate other vessels to add to our technological and biological distinctiveness. In order to accomplish this, we must repair our propulsion and weapon systems. Second, come with me. Three, Four, and Five, continue sending out our message. Another Borg vessel may approach closer to our position and hear our call./_

Second followed First to the area he said was the best place to access and repair the propulsion system. It was on the other side of the large alcove Second now thought of as the control center. Second quickly determined there was nothing wrong with the propulsion system itself. Without any living Borg to operate it, the cube had merely stopped where it was when the last command had been given, which must have been to halt the cube when the drones began to die. Once Second had commanded the cube to move again, First declared, _/We have repaired our propulsion system. We must reestablish our weapon capability now./_ First and Second wandered around cube for several time units, until First declared, _/The weapon controls are in this location. Fix them./_

At the time, they were on the other side of the space where they had "repaired" the propulsion system. Second wondered if First did have all the knowledge he claimed to possess, if he had not recognized that the "repairs" they needed to make to the weaponry were the same as they had to do to propulsion: the system simply required a living drone to tell it what to do. He watched as First punched controls and twisted dials until they detected the sound of weapons firing.

 _/We have repaired the weapons system. Second, activate the tractor beam. Once it is operational, we will be ready to assimilate more drones./_

Second accessed the memories he had been given that had been formed by the adult drones on the cube before their deaths. They had not made any repairs to this system, either. First had discovered the way to activate the system, but that was all.

He waited for First to direct him towards the tractor beam controls. He reasoned that if the propulsion and weapons systems were both activated from here, it was likely the tractor beam function could also be operated from this location.

"What are you waiting for?" First yelled, vocally.

Replying aloud in the same manner, but calmly and reasonably, Second asked, "Where are the tractor beam controls?"

"There!" First screamed. He pointed to a console. Second did not have to step closer to it to realize it was a secondary station for the propulsion system. With First still screaming at him, Second stayed where he was and carefully examined each station in the control center. Finally, in one corner, he saw a set of controls which appeared to belong to a totally different system. He approached it and recognized this as the tractor beam station. Activating the controls, a screen lit up, similar to the first one he had encountered on the cube.

From over Second's shoulder, First demanded, "Have you fixed it yet?"

"I believe so," Second replied, as the knowledge from his brief indoctrination in his maturation chamber came to his mind. Touching the screen, he began a visual sweep of the area in which their cube was traveling. Spotting a small rocky object tumbling a short distance away, Second stroked the control screen. A green light shot out and touched the rock. Second brushed his fingers over a control next to the screen. A light flashed, and Second knew it meant an aperture in the Borg cube had opened. The green light turned into a bright beam, which guided the object towards the cube until it was inside. The flashing light changed from bright green, when Second first activated the beam, to red, when the rock was being drawn inside through the aperture, and then back to a lighter shade green. The aperture had closed.

"I have fixed the tractor beam," Second said aloud, even though he knew he had made no repairs. He found it was easier to use his mouth for communication than to continue subvocally in this situation, because he could keep thoughts such as this apart from what he was telling First.

"Good. What have you assimilated?"

"A space rock."

"A space rock? Why did you assimilate something like that!" First stormed. "It will not help us rejoin the Collective!"

"It was a test," Second answered. "Now we know the tractor beam works as it should. We will be able to capture other vessels and assimilate more drones."

First said nothing for a few moments, then ordered Second to follow him to the space in the cube where captured ships were stored.

As he walked one step behind First, Second felt strange. He recognized it as emotion. As a Borg, he should not feel anything like this. It was something individuals do: feeling emotion. He quickly recognized this emotion for what it was. He was proud of what he had accomplished.

Then he felt a second emotion. He did not have a name for this one, but it was not completely pleasant. It was clear that First did not have all the knowledge he claimed to possess. He thought that learning to operate controls of a device constituted "fixing it." If a system truly did need repair because it was damaged, how would this be accomplished? Second knew he did not possess sufficient knowledge to fix every system all by himself. It seemed even more unlikely that Three, Four, and Five would know how to do this. He hoped he was wrong, and that with their pooled knowledge, they would be able to repair any systems which required it.

Before he could see a way out of this dilemma, First ushered them into a huge metallic cavern. On the floor of this space lay a rock, so small that even if large numbers of them struck the cube at once, because of the cube's shielding, they would be unable to damage the vessel. Second felt another emotion, which he immediately recognized as relief.

"This is evidence that we have repaired the tractor beam," First announced confidently. Second chose not to contradict him, but still felt a twinge at First's use of the word "we." First's only contribution had been to yell at Second because he had not accomplished the task as quickly as he demanded - even though it was clear that First had no idea how to do this himself.

"We must return to the others," First proclaimed. Pivoting on his heel, he stalked out of the huge space. Second turned to follow, but before he took another step, an object high above his head caught his eye.

A small vessel hung on an openwork bridge which spanned one side of the cavern. It was large enough to hold a person who was the size of Second, but not much more. He was struck by how familiar the ship seemed. Symbols adorned its side. He read out loud: "Transport 147-A-Brunal." Why was he able to interpret this inscription so easily, when Borg alphanumeric symbols were still so difficult for him to understand?

He was not given time to ponder the question further, as First called out, in an annoyed tone of voice, "Why aren't you following me?"

Second chose to remain silent as he complied with First's order and resumed his path towards First. He had no explanation for what he'd just seen and been able to do. Although First stared at him intently and looked like he wanted to question him further, he said nothing more, either. Once Second reached his position, First turned around and led the way back to the others.

=/\=


	4. The Alien

=/\=

Once they reached the others, First decided their Collective should relocate to the control center area. Second approved of this plan. The other three agreed as well. First declared it was desirable for them to reach a consensus whenever decisions needed to be made, although Second noted that First always seemed to get his way.

The control center area was appropriate in another way. It was near enough to where the maturation chambers were located to allow one of the drones to check on the last occupied chamber from time to time. First gave this unborn drone the designation of "Six," and the rest of them became "of Six" as a result. Usually, the task of checking on Six of Six fell to Five of Six. Periodically, Second chose to view the developing drone for himself. He determined she was a female, but she was not growing very quickly. Second thought they should wait and see how she developed. There was already so much they had to do. As long as the maturation chamber continued to function well, it was best to simply let her grow.

Once First realized this sixth drone would not be able to assist them with their tasks anytime soon, he lost interest in what was happening to her. Three and Four of Six ignored her as well. Only Second and Five of Six continued to observe her, coming to a consensus about the need to do this on their own.

First spent most of his time demanding the rest of the Collective complete whatever he assigned them to do very quickly. While he seemed to know which tasks should be done and when, First's expectations about how long each job would take were seldom met. He had many opportunities to berate Second and the other three. Privately, Second decided First enjoyed yelling at them, especially when he himself was unsure of how to do whatever project he had given the others to complete. Many times, when First was yelling at them to do something, Second had no idea how to do the task assigned. Whenever he was successful, Second tried to remember what he had done, in case he had to complete the procedure again. He no longer expected First to guide them, as he had said he would when he first organized them into their Collective.

Second accepted that they must work together, but he did not believe this was the way a Collective should operate. It was inefficient. With only five drones to do all the work, he could not see how efficient they could become. Somehow, they needed to assimilate more drones to help them.

=/\=

When Three of Six announced, "A vehicle is approaching on Vector 568-12, with one alien on board," they all went to the station First had assigned to them. First jumped to the weapons system console and ordered, "Second, on my command, activate the tractor beam." Second responded subvocally. _/I am ready./_

First opened a communication signal. At his nod, all the members of their Collective recited what they had been programmed to say: _"We are the Borg. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Resistance is futile."_ Their voices were replicated dozens of times to make it sound as if many Borg were speaking. Even so, it did not sound the way Second expected it should from the memories he had obtained from the deceased Borg.

It made little difference. The alien in the ship responded with weapon's fire, which the Borg cube's shields neutralized. First activated the cube's weaponry. The alien ship was no match for the power of the Borg. First gave the command for the tractor beam to capture the ship, and Second drew it inside the cube. It was over quickly. Before any of them could say anything about the capture, First ordered Second and Five of Six to accompany him to the cavernous bay to extract the alien from his vessel.

The alien fought bravely against them, Second thought, but he was no match for a Borg drone - even immature ones like the three of them. First gave Five of Six the honor of using her wrist tubules to insert a supply of nanoprobes into the alien's neck. The miniature machines immediately began their work. The alien was weakened by assimilation, and the three young drones dragged him, writhing in pain, to the area where assimilations were completed.

It did not go well. The nanoprobes created metallic implants in various areas of his body, but none of them seemed to develop the way they should. Although the cortical node in the alien's brain was malformed and nonfunctional, First ordered Second and Five of Six to insert an ocular implant into the new drone's left eye cavity. At the same time, First tore off one of the being's upper limbs in order to attach a Borg mechanical arm in its place. The alien screamed throughout the procedures. After much fumbling, Second and Five of Six succeeded in positioning the optical device in its proper place, but the neurological connections necessary for it to operate never formed. None of the links critical to the formation of a drone were materializing.

Five of Six asked First to help them, he but did nothing but yell that they should complete their work. First was still holding the mechanical arm. Second wondered if he had any idea of the way the attachment procedures were to be implemented.

Helplessly, Second and Five of Six watched as bloody patches of raw flesh appeared where some metallic implants were supposed to emerge. Those that had developed began to fail, one by one. After a short period of time the alien's screams faded away. He lay strapped on the table, nothing more than a lifeless pile of flesh and metal rubble.

Second and Five of Six raised their eyes and stared at their leader. Throwing the now useless mechanical limb onto the floor, First defiantly stated, "His biological component was too inferior for assimilation. He was not fit to be a drone. I will go to his ship to see if his technology is any more useful to us than he was."

Once First had rushed out of the assimilation area, Second and Five of Six looked at each other. _/What are we to do with him?/_ the young girl drone asked Second. _/We can't just leave him here, can we?/_

Second considered her question carefully. He accessed his Borg memories but found nothing to guide them in a situation such as this. He tried to contact First subvocally, but First could not or would not respond. Finally, Second admitted, _/I do not know. We must leave him here for now. When First returns from the alien ship, we will ask him where we should take the body./_

Gravely, Five of Six nodded acknowledgement. They left together, stepping carefully to avoid the pool of blood from the failed assimilation, some of which continued to ooze from the open slashes in the alien's skin. The smell of death lingered in the mist behind them.

Second was glad to leave that place. He wished never to return, even though by his calculations there was a 99% probability he would be forced to do so, even if it were only to dispose of another dead body.

=/\=


	5. Another Capture

=/\=

When First returned to the control center, he ordered Four of Six to commence a sweep of the area to find another ship. "The alien ship was technologically inferior. It is filled with boxes containing useless items made of cloth and vegetable matter. We will get rid of it." He did not, however, order Second to take any action to expel it from the cube.

Out of memories Second knew must be older ones, either from before his assimilation or from the knowledge of the deceased adult drones, he recognized the big ship was a freighter, carrying items for sale from one world to another. A ship of that size would have more than one alien on it if it were of a type possessing any technology the Borg would wish to assimilate. If their cube had not lost all of its adults, the freighter might have been scanned, found to be lacking, and allowed to proceed on its way without any interference. Second thought of the dead alien in the assimilation room. They had destroyed him for nothing. The only thing they had gained from this incident was the knowledge that none of them knew how to assimilate a new drone into their Collective.

Since First had not yet ordered any of them to remove the body, Second communicated nothing of this to First, either verbally or subvocally. He had no desire to return to that room if he could help it.

Second also realized something else. If First knew how to eject the freighter from their bay, he would have told Second to do it. He probably didn't know the ejection protocols. Second thought a reverse tractor beam procedure might work, but if he were wrong, First would berate him for his failure. He decided not to say anything about this to First. If he had an opportunity, Second would suggest to Five of Six that they explore inside the freighter, in case there was something useful that First had missed. There was plenty of room to tractor other ships inside the cube before they would need to clear out the space the freighter now occupied.

He glanced at Five of Six. She was staring intently at him, as if she could hear what he was thinking. He looked at First, then at Three and Four of Six. None of them showed any signs of being aware of Second's thoughts. He met Five's eyes again. She tilted her head to one side, shrugged her shoulders slightly, and went back to scanning the area. Second did not hear her, exactly, but he perceived she had no fault with Second's decision to remain silent.

=/\=

Two regeneration periods later, Five's scans revealed another small ship flying near their cube. First ordered them to capture it. "This will be easy. It is smaller than the other alien's ship."

The _Delta Flyer_ was much smaller than the unfortunate alien's freighter, but it was far more powerful, in spite of its size. Despite this, the cube's weaponry overpowered the shuttlecraft's shields after a brief fight. Second was able to tractor the small ship inside the cube, but not before several shots from the shuttle's crew had damaged the Borg vessel.

Once the _Delta Flyer_ was secured inside the spaceship storage bay, Second announced to the others, "We are hanging dead in space. Our main propulsion system requires repair."

"We need to extract the aliens from the ship and assimilate them before we make any repairs," First said.

"This small ship has no power. The life support functions will be compromised. From our scans, we know the three living beings inside are oxygen breathers. They will suffer from the loss of breathable air very quickly. We can afford to wait for them to lose consciousness. After that happens, we can extract them from their vessel easily."

"We must extract them now," First insisted.

Five of Six advised, "We can introduce immobilization gas into the ship. When they become unconscious, we can remove them from the pilot's compartment, take them to the assimilation room, and secure them with force fields. Once that is done, we can return here and repair our propulsion system. We can complete the assimilation protocols afterwards."

"They may wake up and fight us when we return to them after we make the repairs," Four of Six argued.

"We can give them the gas again if that happens," Five of Six replied.

"We must come to a consensus," Second said. Subvocally, he added, _/Five of Six's plan is a good one. It is dangerous for us to remain in one place without the ability to move if we are attacked by another alien ship. That may happen if we do not make the cube's repair our priority./_

 _/Agreed,/_ thought Four of Six.

 _/Agreed,/_ thought Three of Six _._

 _/Agreed,/_ thought Five of Six.

 _/If we assimilate them immediately, they can help us repair the system./_ First persisted.

"If the assimilations of these three do not go better than with the one we killed two regeneration periods ago, we will never have their help," Second said out loud. "We need to proceed more carefully with these assimilations to prevent losing this set of drones, too."

With some reluctance, First acknowledged he was the only one blocking the Collective's consensus. _/Agreed./_

=/\=

First allowed Second and Five of Six to accompany him when he went to the captured shuttle. Five of Six's plan worked exactly as she said it would. Since the life support system had already been compromised by the lack of power, a relatively small amount of gas was all that was needed to immobilize the three individuals in the cockpit of the shuttle. Second reminded First that their scans indicated there was a fourth person in the engine area of the shuttle.

"Is this person moving?" First asked.

"No, scans show him lying motionless in the back compartment."

"He is dead then, like all of our drones. Leave him there."

"I should check to make sure . . . "

"I said leave the body there."

Five of Six looked at Second in that penetrating way she had, but she said and thought nothing. Second believed she did not think this was a wise decision either, but First was already carrying the smallest of the three beings out to the skid they were using to transport the shuttle's crew to the assimilation room.

It was probably better to comply rather than upset First by questioning his decision. First would yell at both of them if they did not. He was too easy to upset as it was. With Five of Six's help, Second carried a tall being with strange markings on the side of his head out of the shuttle.

"Get the other one," First ordered, once they had secured the one with the marked face on the skid.

Five of Six helped Second carry the last of the three beings in the control pit to the skid. This one was the tallest of them all, although he was no heavier than the one with the makings on his face. Once all three were in place, First drove the skid towards the assimilation room, expecting Second and Five of Six to follow him on foot.

 _/Our cube has transporter technology, Second. We should have used it to remove the three aliens from this shuttle and sent them to the assimilation room. Why haven't we done so?/_

 _/Do you know where the transporter controls are? Do you possess the ability to activate them?/_

 _/No. I thought you would know that./_

 _/I do not. I do not believe First does, either, or he would have suggested we use that device when we removed the alien from the first ship./_

 _/Agreed. He would have used that argument against mine when we decided how to proceed with these three. We need to find that system and activate it./_

Second glanced away as he subvocally agreed with her. His attention was again captured by the small ship hanging from the metalwork. The shuttle was hanging from an upper level of the storage bay. From this high up, however, he could look down at the little vessel and could see into the cockpit area. He finally recognized the ship for what it was.

Five of Six nudged him with her hand. _/Second, what do you see? Is it the transporter control station?/_

 _/No. Do you see that little ship, Five? I remember now. I was in that ship when the Borg captured me. Since I was young, they put me in the maturation chamber near yours. I became Borg because this cube captured that vessel. Do you remember what happened when you were assimilated?/_

Five of Six tilted her head. While she was gazing at the little ship, her eyes did not focus. Second was certain she now saw only the images within her brain. After several seconds, she replied, _/No. I do not remember anything about it./_

 _/WHY ARE YOU NOT FOLLOWING ME!/_ First's subvocal communication ripped through their brains. He was seething with anger at their lack of compliance. Second and Five both thought, _/Coming!/_ at the same moment. Second glanced down. Her mouth was pursed to prevent it from curving up into an amused smile. He recognized this because his mouth was doing the same thing, and for the same reason.

Second followed Five as she walked towards First. Once they left the immediate area where the shuttle was located, Second decided he must check on this fourth person later, once they had secured the three captured aliens and reestablished propulsion. This fourth alien probably _was_ dead, and restoring the cube's ability to move should be their priority.

Any remnant of his prior amusement disappeared. This time, restoring propulsion would not be a simple matter of operating a few controls. Their cube had been damaged during the fight to capture the shuttle. Actual repairs to the system were necessary. Second hoped his doubts concerning the ability of their Collective to fix it were unfounded. If they were unable to perform the correct procedures, their cube might never move away from this area of space.

=/\=


	6. Seven of Nine

=/\=

He found he had been right to be concerned. None of them knew exactly what must be done to repair the propulsion system. As they collectively struggled with the tasks First was shouting at them to complete, their situation became more desperate. Another ship arrived and confronted their cube. This one was neither a freighter with little in the way of armament or a very small ship, easily overpowered. A fully operational Borg cube would have had little trouble defending itself, since this vessel, too, was much smaller that the cube, but with only five immature Borg to work its systems, their cube was anything but operational.

They stopped their work and rushed to their stations in the control center. First aimed their weapons at this new threat. Five of Six announced they had inflicted some damage on this ship, but it returned their fire with powerful weapons of its own. From the bank of sensors surrounding his station at the tractor beam controls, Second noted that First had not concentrated his fire on one area of this ship. Instead, he struck at the warp engines first, then the impulse engines, and then the sensor array. If First had continued to aim at one critical location, he may have damaged this ship to such an extent their Collective might have been able to assimilate an entire crew of adults to man their cube. By changing targets, he gave the other ship sufficient time to knock out the Borg weapon system completely.

Now two critical systems were damaged, and Second had no more idea how to repair the weapon system than he did propulsion. If only they had access to Borg transporters! The other ship's shields had been weakened by their attack. If he and First had been able to transport aboard this ship, they might have been able to capture its leader and take over from within.

Instead, when he heard the captain of this starship _Voyager_ respond to First's demand they submit to assimilation, their miniature Collective had no choice but to listen and do something Second knew the Borg never did. Negotiate.

"We will return your crew members in exchange for specific technology," First demanded. "Your navigational deflector. Disengage it from your secondary hull."

Second understood First wanted their deflector to boost their signals to the Queen to obtain her help in repairing their ship and to provide adult drones to allow their cube to function as the Borg usually do. Without that technology, this _Voyager_ would be unable to go to warp. They would not give it up easily. Their Collective would have to take it from them by force. How should they do that? He could not imagine their tractor beam was powerful enough to take it from _Voyager_ against its crew's will.

After a brief pause, Voyager's captain said, _/I'll consider the exchange, but first I want to be certain my crewmen are unharmed and alive."_

"You have scanned our vessel."

 _/Our scans were inconclusive. We want to see them for ourselves./_

First paused. "You may transport one individual."

Five of Six glared at First. She was as appalled at First's capitulation as Second was.

=/\=

When he first saw the individual _Voyager_ sent to view their captives, Second found himself reacting to Seven of Nine's physical appearance with a rush of emotions he did not even try to identify. While she was caustic and dismissive of their Collective, categorizing them (correctly) as neonatal drones who should still be in their maturation chambers, she also, clearly, knew what she was talking about whenever she addressed them. He immediately saw she was a drone - or former drone, unfortunately - who could have instructed them in the things they needed to know to operate their cube according to true Borg protocols, quickly and efficiently. Seven would not mistake the simple activation of a system for a repair.

When Seven offered to help them fix the cube in exchange for their hostages, hope flared within Second. It died almost immediately. First was intent on obtaining the deflector dish. He would not accept her offer to help with repairs, even though this was obviously the greater need at this time. If Seven could help them do what was necessary to get the communication array working, they would not need to take _Voyager's_ deflector. Making the cube fully operational _was_ their aim, was it not?

Perhaps it was not First's aim. He refused to consider changing the agreement made by _Voyager's_ captain and First.

=/\=

Since First had agreed she could speak to their hostages, he assigned Second and Five to show Seven where they were being held. When they arrived, Second was momentarily dismayed when he realized they had never taken away the dead alien when they left the _Voyager_ crew in the assimilation room. It could not have been easy for the hostages to awaken and see the corpse lying there, torn apart and stinking of decay. Second felt a twinge of guilt that he had not anticipated this when they brought the three aliens to this room, since his weak explanation that they were only trying to perfect their assimilation techniques met with Seven's sneering, "You failed," in response.

Five of Six saved him from saying anything more by changing the subject. "One of these captives is attempting to disconnect the security field," she said. The tallest of them tried to pretend they were not trying to escape. Five of Six was not fooled and administered punishment protocols by giving him a painful shock.

When Seven yelled at Five, Second told her, "He is not permanently damaged."

"He learned his lesson," Five of Six added.

While this was true, Second felt a warmth come to the skin of his face. _/We should return to First,/_ he thought to Five of Six. _/We have complied with First's agreement./_

 _/Agreed./_ The two drones walked out of the assimilation room and waited for Seven at the end of the corridor leading to the control center. After a few seconds, with the force field reactivating itself behind her, Seven emerged from the room.

Second asked her again to give them the deflector array, which First undoubtedly expected him to say. Seven refused to comply. "I'm not authorized to give you technology. I must report back to Captain Janeway."

Although he maintained the appearance of Borg implacability, Second was actually relieved to hear her say that. He would much rather she remained and helped with their repairs. He was surprised when she made an unexpected request. She asked if she could bring one of the adult drones back with her to _Voyager_ , along with a data node.

Five asked her why. Seven replied, "Something happened on this vessel that none of us understand. If it happens again, it could endanger all of you."

Second communicated this request to the rest of their Collective. Although First was clearly reluctant, self-preservation won out. _/Agreed./_

=/\=


	7. Repairs

=/\=

Seven returned a short time later, accompanied by the woman she identified as Captain Janeway. First continued to demand _Voyager's_ deflector dish, while the captain offered something much better, in Second's view. She offered their help in repairing their cube. "Seven knows a good deal about Borg systems," the captain said.

 _/Accept her offer!/_ Second screamed subvocally to First.

For once, First stopped and considered Second's opinion - possibly because Three, Four and Five of Six were all sending the same one to him.

First relented. "You have two hours."

"I don't know the extent of the damage. It could take longer," Seven pointed out.

First was scornful. "Two hours! Or your hostages die!"

As First chased Captain Janeway back to her ship, Second was pleased Seven would remain to direct them in the repairs their cube desperately needed; but he was also unsure they could accomplish all that was necessary within the time First had allotted them. As usual, First had no concept of how long repairs might take, since Second perceived he had no sense of the protocols involved. It would fall to Second, Three, Four, and Five to provide Seven with as much assistance as possible. If First did anything at all, he would be more likely to impede their efficiency rather than increase it.

By now, Second was certain they would be better off repairing the cube instead of trying to communicate with the entire Collective again. They still had no idea how long it might take for the Queen to send them help once they were able to reach with her. Possessing _Voyager's_ deflector would not restore their weapons or propulsion. If anything happened to their shields, they would be unable to defend themselves from anyone, including _Voyager_. They needed to regain mobility as soon as they could.

Second knew what their priorities must be. First obviously did not. Or he did not care. That was even more upsetting to contemplate.

=/\=

After Second delivered technology which Seven needed for repairs to propulsion, he knew he should offer to assist her. Instead, he told her that he had looked up her datafile. "You were assimilated as a juvenile, like us."

If Second had thought establishing a common history with Seven would soften her attitude towards their Collective, he quickly found he was mistaken. She told him her parents had taken her with them while they studied the Borg, and she did not appear to appreciate this fact. "My childhood was short," she added sharply.

"Childhood?" This was a term Second had not yet encountered, let alone understood.

"The years between birth and physical maturity, when humanoids adapt to their roles as individuals. Perhaps you have memory of yours."

He reviewed his memories but could find almost nothing about his earliest years. "I don't know," he finally admitted. When she asked about his parents, he had to admit he could not remember them, either. The only thing he could remember was that the color of his mother's hair was the same as Seven's. He had a sense it was usual for a drone to retain more knowledge about his or her life prior to his assimilation than this. Of course, Five of Six told him she did not even recall how she was assimilated. Little Six of Six, who was still growing in her maturation chamber, would probably have no memories of her time before becoming Borg. Perhaps if a Borg was very young when assimilated, they did not remember. But if that were true, why was he able to remember the Borg had captured him from the small ship in the spaceship storage bay? He could not make sense of the discrepancy.

While he tried to reason all of this out, Seven was observing him with an expression that, while not like the ones he sometimes shared with Five of Six, was much softer than most he had seen cross her face. When she finally did speak, Seven changed the subject of their conversation. "Your subvocal processor is malfunctioning. I can repair it for you. It's a slight adjustment. It won't be painful." As she spoke, she lifted a small instrument from her tool array and lifted it up to his ear.

"First told me my malfunction could not be repaired until we reconnected with the Collective," Second replied. Before he had finished this remark, amazingly, his speech had cleared. The quavery, elongated sounds were now absent. He spoke the way the rest of his Collective did. Seven of Nine's procedure had repaired him. He felt another emotion he could now put a name to: gratitude.

First interrupted them. "I thought we agreed - no irrelevant discussions!" Since Second was aware they had only a limited time to work, First's threat to deactivate him was unnecessary. He immediately returned to the task he abandoned when he went to obtain the technology Seven requested he bring her.

=/\=

Neither First nor Second observed Seven copying something from the console on which she was working a short time later. Five of Six did. She noticed Seven appeared to be unsettled by whatever she found. Five wondered what it might be. Turning back to her own station, Five of Six decided to scan the interior of the cube at her first opportunity. Had Seven detected another problem which their Collective had failed to notice? Whatever it might be, Five of Six was determined to discover it.

=/\=

The repair work proceeded the way it usually did. First supervised, complaining all the while that they were not working fast enough, while doing very little or nothing himself to assist. Everyone else, including Seven, did the work. Eventually, First pushed Seven too far. When she reported the resonance field had collapsed and it could not be reinitialized for another hour, First accused her of intentionally delaying the repairs.

"Examine my work for yourself, if you have doubts," Seven flared back.

"This data is _flawed!_ "

"More likely it's your understanding of quadric field theory that's _flawed_."

Realizing the others were all staring at him, picking up on his uncertainty, First fumed, "Ignore her! She's trying to divide us!"

"They rely on you," Seven stated, "yet you lack the skills necessary to ensure their survival."

"We've managed so far. We're Borg. You've forgotten what that means."

"The unity of the Collective. Common goals . . . the quest for Perfection. I have not forgotten. But you don't need to remain drones to experience those things. Come back with me to _Voyager_."

First retorted, "Thirty-eight minutes. You're wasting time."

Before Seven could respond, the maturation chamber alarm sounded. They all rushed into the alcove in which the chambers were located. Six of Six's was malfunctioning, and Seven told them the baby was in distress. First tried to "fix" the chamber, with as little success as he achieved when he attempted to fix anything else. At Seven's request, Second stepped in to work with her to try to stabilize the baby's condition with a stasis field. Almost immediately it began to degrade. Seven transferred the infant to the incubation pod, but it malfunctioned as well. The infant gasped in her desperate efforts to breathe.

"Why is it doing that?" Five of Six asked.

"Its respiratory system is impaired," Seven replied. "We must transport this infant to _Voyager_."

"No!" First yelled. "The drone is part of our Collective!"

"Not if it dies," Second answered.

Five of Six softly stroked the baby's head. _/We must let Seven send Six of Six to her ship, or she might die. I do not want her to die!/_

 _/Agreed,/_ Second thought back. Three and Four of Six gathered around the baby, too, also thinking _/Agreed./_

If First had listened to their subvocal communication, he gave no sign; but he looked away as Second gave a nod to Seven of Nine, granting the Collective's consent for her aid.

Seven opened communication with her ship. "Emergency medical transport. Send the infant in my hands to Sickbay."

The shimmering light of a transporter beam engulfed Six of Six. Seconds later, Seven stood alone, with her arms outstretched, as if the infant still rested there. Lowering her arms, Seven looked at each of the others in turn. "If anyone can save her, our EMH will. Thank you", Seven stated firmly as she pivoted on her heel and added, "Return to your duties," before striding back to the area she had been repairing when the alarm went off.

Three, Four, and Five of Six followed her. Second glanced at First. He stood rigidly in front of the bank of emptied maturation chambers. Second suppressed the urge to sigh at his intransigence. They needed his help if they were ever to get their cube completely operational once again. He doubted they would get any.

=/\=


	8. Voyager's Fourth Crewman

=/\=

After Six of Six shimmered away, Five of Six completed her assigned task and initiated the scans of the surrounding area she had performed every time unit. She was relieved when she noted _Voyager_ was still the only ship she could detect.

Five was about to return to her assignment to work on the weapon system when she remembered she had never checked on the other alien in the shuttle, which she had promised herself to do before First insisted they pay attention only to the repairs. She activated a scan of the interior, focusing initially on _Voyager's_ shuttle, checking to see if the fourth alien now showed any signs of life. She could not find his body. Disturbed, she communicated to Second, _/ Voyager's shuttle is now empty. The fourth alien cannot be dead. He must be somewhere in our cube./_ After searching deeper into the cube, she spotted him. _/Second, I see someone moving in the direction of our shielding mechanism./_

Second glanced over at Seven. Her attention was fastened on her attempts to reinitialize the resonance field. First was hanging over Three of Six's console, berating him for working too slowly. Second slipped away to Five's console and leaned over her shoulder, examining her findings.

He must not have slipped away quietly enough. "What are you doing Second? And Five of Six! You should have completed your scans by now and returned to your repairs!" First shouted at them as he came around the corner from Three's console.

"The fourth member of _Voyager's_ crew. He isn't in their shuttle any longer," Five of Six replied.

"Investigate!"

"I should go with her. It may be difficult for her to handle him alone," Second offered.

"No! Continue making repairs. If she requires assistance, I will go."

Five of Six glanced back at Second. / _He wants to separate us because he believes we are too attached. I will comply./_

Second nodded agreement. Five of Six was Borg. Although he had wanted to accompany her, Second believed she could handle a lone alien, even an adult. At least, he hoped she could.

=/\=

Although Five of Six had some idea where the fourth _Voyager_ crewman was headed, she decided to work towards him along the path he had already traveled. She had just started walking from the spaceship storage bay when she spotted an object of a type she'd never seen before. It was a flat piece of a flexible substance, with images imprinted upon it. She picked it up. A little further she found another. And then another. And then one more. As she approached the field generator which maintained the cube's shields, she heard a noise ahead of her. A dark-haired alien who might be of the same race as Seven was hanging something on a wall close to the generator. He was alone. Since he was speaking aloud to someone else, she perceived he must be using a communication link of some sort.

 _/Second, place a dampening field in the area of the field generator./_

 _/It is done,/_ he sent back to Five.

The alien said, "The first charge is in place." After a short pause, he spoke again, "Tuvok?" just before he looked in Five of Six's direction and saw her observing him.

She held up the flat pieces she'd picked up. "You left these."

From the way the color left his face, Five of Six could see he was not happy to have her return them to him.

She picked up the image she liked the best and showed it to the alien. "I like her. She looks like Seven of Nine."

He tried to distract her while reaching for his weapon, but Five of Six calmly informed him, "Your weapon won't work here. Dampening field."

Now he looked even more unhappy - and worried.

=/\=

"You complain of delays, then you interrupt my work!" Seven complained when she answered their summons to the control center.

"Can you identify this?" demanded First, holding up the tubular device Five of Six had discovered near the field generator.

"It's a plasma charge," Seven answered.

From the puzzled expression he saw on Seven's face, Second believed she had not known of its presence before First showed the device to her, but First accused her of being a party to the deception anyway.

As First had instructed them, their Collective stepped back, revealing the fourth alien from _Voyager_ , which Five of Six had little trouble dragging out of the shield mechanism area. After First instructed Five to inject nanoprobes into this crewman, he became just as weak as the first alien they'd tried to assimilate had become - and these nanoprobes did not appear to be working any more efficiently than they had during that failure. Even First seemed to recognize this fact when he told Seven, "He won't survive without medical attention."

When Seven did not respond immediately, First ordered, "Call your captain. Tell her to give us the deflector."

"That won't be necessary. I only need a few more minutes to repair . . . "

"No more delays! No more deceptions! The _deflector!_ "

Seven tried to continue, but First stepped towards her, yelling, "Resistance is futile!"

=/\=


	9. Irrelevant

=/\=

Captain Janeway's face appeared on the viewscreen. _/Return Harry Kim and we'll talk./_

First glared back at her. "We've talked enough. Your requests are irrelevant! Comply, or we'll assimilate the others."

 _"It'll take us at least an hour to dismantle the deflector and transfer the components . . ."_

"NOW!" screamed First.

 _/I_ can't _give it to you now. It's complex technology that's part of our ship. We can't simply remove it and no amount of threats from you are going to change that!/_

First cut off communications. "Second! Lock the tractor beam onto the deflector. If they will not give it, we will take it, which we _should_ have done from the beginning!"

"But if the technology is complex, we may damage the deflector if we do that," Second responded, "and the deflector may be useless to us."

"DO IT NOW!"

A still reluctant Second followed First's order. Although the tractor beam's power was set at maximum, the dish was not budging from Voyager's hull. _/We need more power to the tractor beam,/_ Second sent to their Collective. _/Divert power from all systems to increase the beam's force./_

First went to a console to monitor their progress. "It is working. The stresses on the hull are increasing. Breaches are opening on the lower decks of the hull! We will succeed!"

Seven had not made any moves to stop their efforts to this point, but then she spoke softly, but authoritatively,

"Even with Voyager's deflectors your efforts to return to the Hive will fail."

Second, along with the rest of their Collective, remained in front of their consoles, but they paused and waited for Seven to continue speaking. Why was she saying this?

"They'll come for us!" First insisted.

"No, they won't. The Borg received your message but chose to ignore it. They consider you irrelevant."

Five of Six left her console and walked up to Seven and said, with pain in her voice, "Irrelevant?"

Second comprehended the situation at once. "We are damaged. They don't want us."

"Ignore her! It's another lie!" First said, but to Second's ears, he no longer sounded as confident as he had when he gave the order to steal Voyager's deflector dish.

"Their reply is in data grid 426. Use decryption protocol theta three."

Although First tried to stop him, Second accessed the message. Once the decryption protocol was utilized, the message was plain to see. It was the jumbled one they had not been able to read after they sent their first plea for aid to the Collective. First yelled that Seven was still trying to manipulate them, but there was no doubt the transmission was authentic. _/That is what Seven saw that disturbed her, when she came to work on our repairs. That is why she was upset,/_ Five of Six sent to the others.

First rushed over to view the message for himself, but clearly, he did not wish to believe the evidence of his own eyes. "It's a mistake!"

Seven reminded them, "The Collective does not tolerate imperfection."

"Then we'll assimilate more species . . . _prove_ we're worthy." Second could hear the desperation in First's voice. At that moment, Second knew this could not end well. He did not wish to die, but this might be the end, for all of them - not just for those trapped on this "irrelevant" Borg cube, but for _Voyager's_ entire crew, as well.

=/\=

Seven was pleading with them to come back with her to _Voyager_ , to lead lives as individuals, when the cube was rocked by a feedback pulse, sent through the tractor beam to break its hold on the deflector dish by overloading their shield matrix. Despite their efforts, the Borg vessel's shields began to fail.

Five of Six quickly scanned their vessel and let them know the other captives were gone.

"The shields around this chamber are failing," Second added, looking to First for instructions with little expectation of receiving anything of value. First had deceived them from the beginning by claiming knowledge he did not possess. Why would he now have an answer to counter this attack?

When First did not answer immediately, Seven stepped in. "Lower your shields."

No one moved. She ordered them to lower their shields again, but when everyone remained frozen where they were, she stepped up to a console and began the procedure herself.

First finally responded. Shoving her away, he operated the controls, trying to keep up their shielding. Second could see he was about to fail in this task, as he had in so many others. First must have known it, too, for he turned suddenly and grabbed an instrument lying nearby. He raised it high and turned towards Seven. Second knew he meant to murder Seven of Nine. Second stepped up and overpowered First. "Leave her alone!"

"Get back to your station," First ordered. "Do what I say!"

Something inside Second broke. He was tired of the posturing, of the claims First knew everything there was to know about Borg procedures while failing at everything he himself did. How he demanded them to work faster at tasks while he did nothing but stand around and criticize them. He could no longer tolerate the constant demands First made of the others, which they tried to fulfill even when they seemed ill-advised, just to avoid his tongue-lashings. How "coming to a consensus" almost always meant "doing it First's way." Second saw it all for what was: the lies of someone who puffed himself up at the expense of everyone else. How many times had Second held his own tongue, in the interest of avoiding First's anger and disapproval?

No more. "Do what _you_ say? I thought we were a _Collective_."

Five of Six chimed in, "One mind, one voice . . . "

First fought back. "I _protected_ you . . . gave you _order!_ "

" _Your_ order. _Your_ rules," Second seethed.

The argument was interrupted by an explosion in the induction coils. First cried out, trying to rally them back to his side, but Seven intervened. "This vessel will be destroyed. We must evacuate!"

"No!" First screamed, running over to the console controlling the induction grinds. "Assist me!"

Seven pulled Five of Six away from First, and away from the control panel, just before it exploded. When he landed on the floor, the others rushed over to help him, but all of them saw the damage to his body was too great. Seven's announcement that his cortical implants were depolarizing, after she had checked him with her device, only confirmed what they already knew.

As he lay there before them, First still implored them to resist, to wait for the Collective. Surely they would come for them. "We are Borg!" he groaned.

Seven quietly answered him. "Yes, we are Borg."

Afterwards, Second thought the key to First's finally being able to let go, to find a peaceful resolution to the battle only he wished to continue, was Seven's affirmation of their common history. The mechanical implants in First's body shut down, one by one, until every indicator light was dark. The boy panted out one final breath, then lay there, perfectly still.

It was over. Seven whispered, "Lower the shields," and Second and Five of Six did as she asked. First's battle to remain Borg was over. So was theirs.

=/\=


	10. Abandoning the Cube

=/\=

Once it was clear to all of them that First's life had ended, Seven returned to the side of her crew mate, the one Captain Janeway had referred to as Harry Kim. Using the instrument she had used to evaluated First's condition after the console blew up, she examined him. Tapping the badge on her chest, she contacted _Voyager_. "Captain, Ensign Kim requires immediate medical transport to Sickbay."

The captain issued a command, and Harry Kim shimmered away in the same way Six of Six had. _/Seven,/_ the captain said. _/Our scans are revealing the cube is becoming increasingly unstable. We need to get you and the children out as soon as possible./_

"Acknowledged." Turning her attention to their Collective, she said, "Disconnect as many data noses which you are able to hold as quickly as possible. We will take them to _Voyager_ with us to examine later, to see if we can find out more about what happened here. We cannot linger. Is there anything else we need to bring with us?"

Five of Six turned to Second and asked, "The freighter? _Voyager's_ shuttle? The little ship? Should we ask the captain to take them, too?"

"We have no time to explore the freighter or the little ship now. What about _Voyager's_ shuttle, Seven?"

"Get the data nodes. I will remind the captain about it, but I expect she has already retrieved the _Delta Flyer._ "

They managed to pry out five of the data nodes before Captain Janeway contacted Seven again. _/We need to get you out of there now, Seven. I'm transporting you directly to Sickbay for our Doctor to provide any care you need. Lieutenant Torres, initiate transport!/_

Second picked up two data nodes seconds before the shimmering transporter effect surrounded him. He detected a strange sensation from his finger to his toes as his body was reduced to impulses he did not understand, but knew he wished to study. Before the cube disappeared from his sight, the last thing he saw was the lifeless body of First. If he had not put all his trust in the Borg Collective and been so stubborn about contacting them, he might be shimmering away with the rest of their Collective to begin a new life on _Voyager_. Instead, his body would remain here, along with the corpses of all the adult drones and the unfortunate alien freighter captain, for as long as the cube remained intact. If Captain Janeway was correct, it would not be for long.

=/\=

Once the shimmering effect dissipated, Second saw he was standing in a large chamber very different in construction from the alcoves and corridors of a Borg cube. It was one open room, filled with beds similar to the one in the cube's assimilation room, where the dead alien must still be lying. This must be what Captain Janeway called Sickbay.

At the far end he saw Ensign Kim lying on one of the beds. A female alien with the same hair color as Seven was leaning over him, listening to the instructions of a male person who didn't have much more hair on his head than Second did. He was barking his orders, presumably of a medical nature, to this female, whom he referred to as Ensign Wildman. Another light-haired female member of _Voyager's_ crew was standing near a very small bed. Five of Six walked quickly over to the little bed and confirmed, _/Six of Six is here./_

Second nodded his head, relieved that she was with them. The female standing near the little bed was moving her hand back and forth, and Five informed him, _/This crew person is rubbing our Six of Six's thorax. Should we allow this to continue?/_

He thought back, _/Is Six of Six still gasping for breath?/_

 _/No. She seems to be breathing well. I think she likes the way this person is touching her./_

 _/Then we should allow this to continue, as long as Six does not become distressed again./_

The female rubbing Six of Six was smiling at Five. Second felt a little better about what was happening. If they were taking good care of their baby drone and Ensign Kim, he did not think they meant to do harm to the rest of their Collective.

Continuing his visual survey of Sickbay, Second noted that the person with markings on his face and the small alien they had captured on the _Delta Flyer_ were absent. The tallest of the three was present, however. He was holding an instrument similar to the one Seven used. As he approached her, he asked her how she was doing before passing the instrument up and down her body.

"As you can see, I am well."

A few seconds later, he replied, "My medical tricorder agrees with you, Seven. Now, how about your friends here . . . "

"Our Collective," Second corrected him.

"Ah. Of course. Pardon me. Let me introduce myself. I'm Ensign Thomas E. Paris. We never had the chance to be formally introduced on board your cube. I'm usually the guy who pilots _Voyager_ , but today the Doc's enlisted me to perform my other job. I'm also his field medic." He leaned over towards Three and Four of Six and whispered, "He likes to call me his nurse - when he isn't complaining about something he claims I'm doing wrong."

"Like First always did," said Four of Six.

"We're used to it," Three of Six added.

The pilot looked in Second's direction, with a facial expression that seemed less welcoming than when he'd first approached, until Seven stated, "This is Second. First is . . . no longer with us."

"Oh. I heard one of your . . . Collective was lost. Do you mind if I check all of you out with my tricorder? It will indicate your medical status. You won't feel a thing. I promise."

Second nodded assent, and Ensign Paris waved his device up and down each of their bodies in turn, nodding his own head and making faces that seemed to indicate he was not displeased with his findings. "You all look like you're in great shape. We'll just check my findings against our database and . . . "

Suddenly Second felt a slight vibration beneath his feet. Whatever mechanism was maintaining gravity on _Voyager_ was operating properly, as far as Second could tell, but from the expressions on the faces of Seven and Ensign Paris, Second could guess what had caused the sensation.

"Was that a shock wave from an explosion? From our cube?"

Seven took a deep breath before answering him. "Possibly."

Second did not respond. There was little point. Captain Janeway was right to extract them from their vessel when she did, or they would have died with it.

"Are you going to check me out, too?" Ensign Paris jumped a little in surprise when Five of Six addressed him. She had materialized next to his side so suddenly, it was almost as if she had been transported there.

Holding out his device, he smiled at her and said, "That's my job today, ma'am. Just a few seconds with my tricorder here, and we'll be all finished." She remained motionless while he used his device to scan her. "Ah. Our database has lots of information about your species. And you're in great shape."

"Good. May we leave now?" Five of Six asked.

"Uh, not at the moment," Ensign Paris replied.

In Five of Six's usual, forthright way, she asked, "Why not?"

"For one thing, the captain hasn't assigned you quarters yet. And the Doctor has to complete a more thorough examination of each of you. You're doing well right now, but even my quick scan showed me that some of your implants aren't functioning the way they should. The Doc will have to decide what he needs to do for you, the way he did when Seven first came on board _Voyager_. While some may need to remain in your body, others probably should be removed."

"You are making us Not-Borg?" Three of Six asked.

Ensign Paris looked intently at Seven, who answered the question for him. "You aren't truly a Borg now. You are neither totally drone nor an individual, because the assimilation process was never completed. You may be healthy at this time, but you if any of your implants should become defective and fail, they can poison your body. Do not be alarmed. The ensign is correct. The Doctor performed extensive surgeries on me three years ago, when I was disconnected from the Hive. I am healthy now. He will remove only what he must."

"Are you staying here with us, Seven?" Five of Six asked, in a voice that wavered almost as much as Second's had before Seven adjusted his vocal processor.

"Except when I must regenerate or the captain calls me to my duties, I will remain here with you. I see the Doctor is finishing his examination of Ensign Kim. We should go to him and ask how he wishes to proceed before he comes to us."

"Why?" Five asked.

"Trust me, it's better if you don't know," Ensign Paris said.

Second thought he saw Seven's mouth quirk into a smile much like the one he could see on Ensign Paris's. He decided it was best to take their advice. At least they could both smile about it.

=/\=


	11. Testing Regime

=/\=

The Doctor compiled a list of what the EMH referred to as a "regime of tests" for "Mr. Paris" to perform. Seven remained with their Collective and provided Ensign Paris with each of their designations when he began to examine them, beginning with Second. The scanning procedure was not unfamiliar to Second, since similar devices had existed on their cube, but the ensign performed several other types of assessments as well. He knocked a small mallet on Second's knees to "test the reflexes" and visually inspected and probed several of his exterior implants. He pricked the tip of one of Second's fingers and collected a "blood sample" in a tiny tube, which Seven placed in a larger "test tube" on a rack, labeled with Second's designation. The last thing Ensign Paris asked Second to do was to inject a sample of nanoprobes into another of the test tubes. "That's so Seven can evaluate how well they're working for you," he explained.

Turning to the next member of their Collective, Ensign Paris said, "Your turn, Three."

"Three of Six," Five of Six corrected.

"You're all 'of Six' - other than Second, I gather?"

Five of Six nodded slowly in agreement.

"Then I think we can use the same sort of shortened designation for you we've been using for Seven of Nine ever since she arrived. At least, for now. Once Seven finishes her study of the data nodes you brought from the cube, she may find alternate names for you. Is that acceptable?"

"I believe it will be _adequate_ ," Seven remarked, emphasizing the final word. The ensign smiled broadly at that. Grinned was the proper word, Second recalled.

While the ensign settled "Three" onto the biobed device and began the prescribed set of detailed scans and tests, Second stepped closer to Seven and remarked, "You seem to be comfortable with Ensign Paris."

"I am," she replied. "I have found him to be an excellent pilot, as well as what the Doctor refers to as an 'adequate' field medic. He is extremely efficient performing both jobs. He also provides other diverse functions which are better discussed at a later time. He is a valued colleague."

"Valued colleague? Extremely efficient? High praise, coming from you, Seven," Ensign Paris said with a grin, as he adjusted Three's position on the table to initiate another set of scans.

Seven tilted her head slightly, with her lips pursed, reminding Second of Five of Six for a moment. "One of these diverse functions is a capacity for presenting various forms of entertainment to the crew, particularly of the humorous genre. He likes to tell jokes."

Ensign Paris actually made noises at that remark. Laughter, Second surmised. "Smiling and laughter are aspects of humor?"

Seven replied affirmatively before stepping forward to assist the lieutenant when it was time to take samples of Three's blood and nanoprobes. Three had difficulty injecting a sufficient volume of nanoprobes into the test tube. It took three tries before Seven was satisfied with the sample. Second noted that Ensign Paris and Seven exchanged glances that were totally devoid of humor after this, although the ensign quickly reassumed what Second thought must be his typical demeanor when he indicated Four should take Three's place on the biobed.

When Seven stepped back from the biobed again, she moved a little farther back than she had before. Speaking so softly Second had to strain to hear, she said, "When I first came on _Voyager_ , the Doctor completed many surgeries necessary to save my life after I was disconnected from the Hive. I began to live the life of an individual again, which I had not done since I was six years old. Ensign Paris and Ensign Kim were the first members of _Voyager's_ crew to offer assistance to me, other than Captain Janeway. Since the captain holds the highest position in the _Voyager_ hierarchy, Ensigns Paris and Kim were often available to answer my questions when the captain was not. Both of them advised me on ways to relate to the other individuals on board, since most of the crew did not understand me any better than I understood them. It has not always been easy. I hope the four of you - and Six of Six, also - will be able to adjust to your new lives more readily."

"You will be able to assist us as well."

"I will do what I can. How much I am able to do will depend upon Captain Janeway."

"You called this a _'Voyager_ Collective' when we were on our cube, but it is not really 'One mind, one voice,' like our Collective. If it is a hierarchy, it is like what we had when First insisted we follow his commands, no matter what they were."

"In a sense, the Hive is also a hierarchy, Second. The Queen ultimately decides how all drones should function. I know. I have met her. Many organizational and command functions have been automated, which is why she can control trillions of drones all at once, but _SHE_ is the one who rules over all. She is the one that matters in the Collective. The Queen _is_ the Collective."

Seven had to leave then, when Ensign Paris summoned her to assist with Four's sample collection. While she was helping him, Second considered all she had said. He perceived an emotional response from Seven which reminded him of his own, when he finally refused to follow First's commands blindly. Bitterness. That was what it was called. He remembered the comments she had shared with him on the Borg cube, when they spoke of her short childhood, and about her parents. Even though she still identified herself as Borg in many ways, Seven was bitter about her parents exposing her to assimilation. While she appeared to have accepted herself for what she was, she did not seem completely happy about it.

Second wished he could recall his own parents. Had they also been responsible in some way for his assimilation? He knew he had been alone in the small ship. There would not have been enough space for his parents to travel in it with him. He could not see how they could have had anything to do with his becoming Borg - or partially Borg, as Seven explained it.

Four had had even more trouble providing a sample of nanoprobes from his wrist tubules than Three had. After four tries, Seven stated, "It is sufficient," and Ensign Paris allowed Four to jump down from the biobed. Five had no trouble getting up, since the ensign lifted her onto it. If the pattern held, Five of Six would require five injections of nanoprobes into the test tube to provide a large enough sample for Seven to examine. Fortunately, Five's wrist tubules worked as well as Second's had. Only one injection was necessary.

"Will you take samples from Six of Six, too?" Five asked the field medic.

"We're going to let her gain strength before doing any more tests on the baby. When the Doc examined her right after she arrived, he noticed her wrist tubules haven't formed yet. We'll analyze the nanoprobes in her blood from a sample the Doc took right after he stabilized her breathing. Hopefully, we'll have enough for Seven to perform her tests without taking any more from her. The poor little kid needs all of her blood and lots of rest to get well."

Ensign Paris directed their miniature Collective to one side of Sickbay, and Seven told them to rest on the biobeds in that area. While she completed her testing protocols on their nanoprobes, Ensign Paris was performing analyses of the blood samples. Once Seven finished her evaluations, she shared her findings with Ensign Paris, since the Doctor was still working on Ensign Kim. Before they had finished their discussion, however, Captain Janeway summoned Seven to come to her. With an apologetic glance in the children's direction, she hurried off.

As soon as Seven was gone, Second began to worry about what was going to happen to them. What was the captain saying to her? And what were "quarters," anyway?

Second had had to exercise patience many times when First was in command of their Collective. He realized he would need to practice this discipline when dealing with Captain Janeway, too. He remembered that another term for "hierarchy" was "chain of command." And their Collective was apparently at the end of the chain.

=/\=


	12. Modified Nanoprobes

=/\=

When Seven returned to Sickbay a short time later she spoke briefly with Ensign Paris again, then returned to work at the console nearest to a room which had been identified as the Doctor's office. Second and Five sat together on a biobed near Six of Six's crib, but far enough away so that the Doctor would not complain about them being "too close." The twins stayed on the other side of the room. They said nothing verbally, but Five sent several subvocal messages to Second, letting him know the twins were conversing silently with each other.

Eventually, Seven finished the project she was working on and, with the field medic's help, filled four small devices with the substance she had created. She summoned Three and Four over to where Five and Second were sitting and said, "We have determined your first treatment will be to modify the nanoprobes in your bodies. I will inject you with them now."

"Are you assimilating us into the _Voyager_ Collective?" Three asked.

"No, nothing like that," Ensign Paris replied. "Our analyses of your blood samples and your nanoprobes revealed they're like your implants. They aren't working the way they should."

"Is that why we failed to assimilate the alien from the freighter?" Second felt a little queasy, remembering how much pain he had suffered before dying.

Seven answered, "It is difficult to say for sure. We know the system within your bodies which creates nanoprobes never developed properly. Any fault lies in the failure of your maturation chambers, which did not prepare you for your life as a drone before expelling you. Not with you."

"We need to shut off the nanoprobe function which creates implants. We can't have you going around accidentally injecting anyone that we'll have to treat for the same problems we're treating Harry for now," the field medic explained. "But your nanoprobes have an even more important function that's supposed to help _you_. The Doc likes to call them 'efficient little healers,' but yours aren't efficient at all. They won't heal you if you're injured or sick. Seven's modifications should work on them to correct that problem, at the same time it disables the drone-making one. Is it okay if we administer them to you now?"

 _/If we are becoming individuals, we won't need to create any new drones,/_ Five thought to the others.

 _/And we don't want to die like all the adult drones did. Their nanoprobes couldn't heal them,/_ Second thought back.

 _/Agreed,/_ Three and Four sent out to them.

"We have come to a consensus. You may administer the modified nanoprobes," Second said.

"I see your Collective is still intact," Ensign Paris joked. "The modified nanoprobes are in this hypospray. It'll only take a second. It won't hurt," he added, as he pressed the device to Five's neck. It hissed when he activated it.

"It doesn't hurt," Five confirmed.

Seven administered the nanoprobes to Three and Four, while the field medic pressed the other hypospray onto Second's neck. Five was correct. It had not hurt.

Seven and Ensign Paris settled each of them onto a biobed of their own to rest. Second was not sure if he was imagining it, but right after receiving the injection, he began to feel a little better physically. When he thought about the alien they had failed to assimilate, however, he did not feel quite so well. The terrible way he died might not have been their fault, exactly, since they could not know their nanoprobes were unable to do the job they were meant to do; but he still felt an uncomfortable emotion when he remembered the being's painful end. He searched for a name for the emotion, and he finally found it. Guilt.

=/\=

After their rest period which Ensign Paris said was called "Gamma Shift" ended, several members of the crew came to Sickbay to visit Ensign Kim, who was still recovering from their attempt to assimilate him into their Collective. One of these individuals was the Lieutenant Torres who had transported them out of their cube and into the Sickbay. After visiting with Harry Kim, she spent some time speaking with the Doctor before visiting with Ensign Paris for a while. Although she had a rippled forehead, indicating she was from a different species from the field medic, he seemed very happy when she was near him. While they were speaking with one another, their bodies were almost touching. Second observed that none of the other crew members took such close positions to each other during their visits. When he asked Seven about it, she explained, "Ensign Paris and Lieutenant Torres are in a relationship. They are a couple."

"I don't understand."

"For most individuals who practice single-cell reproduction, becoming a couple is a necessary prerequisite to becoming parents. You should initiate studies in Federation Standard, Second. Once you are proficient, you can research the database and find out more about it on your own."

"Are they planning to become parents?" Second inquired.

"I do not know, and I do not recommend pursuing the question with either of them. They can be extremely sensitive about it when asked."

Second did not feel he comprehended exactly what a "relationship" or "single cell reproduction" meant, but he decided to take Seven's advice. He refrained from asking Ensign Paris about it. He could ask him later on, when he might be a little less sensitive about Icheb's questions.

=/\=

Their Collective remained in Sickbay for three of what the crew referred to as "ship's days," or "Stardates." During this time, the Doctor performed several surgical procedures on Second and what Ensign Paris now referred to as his "siblings." Several times, they were made unconscious in a process he called "sedation." Other times, however, they were able to stay awake while he worked.

When their body coverings were removed, additional metallic implants were revealed which Second and the others had not known were present. Most were meant to link their nervous systems to implants which had either never formed or had fallen off when they emerged from their maturation chambers; and the Doctor removed them.

As the Seven and ensign had explained earlier, some implants would remain inside and on the surface of their bodies. According to the Doctor, their cortical implants were critical to their functioning, so they, and all of the connections pertaining directly to them, had to stay in place. Other implants were so close to important body structures, the Doctor preferred to leave them in place rather than injure them in ways their healing nanoprobes might not be able to repair. All of the members of their Collective retained a few metallic implants on their heads and faces because their removal risked damage to their nervous systems. Others were embedded so deeply into their bones, they were invisible; if the EMH did not think they would cause future problems, he made the decision to leave them alone. He said he would monitor them periodically to make sure they were not "going bad," something he already did for Seven.

Second learned that the implant along the left side of his nose, which would have connected his ocular implant to his brain if it had developed properly, was useless. The projecting part was disconnected without incident, but the metallic connection on the surface of his nose ran through his sinus cavity before traveling very close to his optic nerve and up into his brain. The Doctor recommended that section should stay in place, but he offered to cover it with a layer of skin so it would be invisible. Second decided not to bother hiding it. "It is part of my history, Doctor. I was Borg. I do not mind seeing it there, to remind me of what I was."

Second was pleased by one change. He had just a little bit of hair on the top of his head when he was on the Borg cube. The Doctor stimulated the hair follicles to make his hair grow quickly, making him look more like most of _Voyager's_ crew. When Five asked the Doctor why he did not stimulate his own hair follicles to grow his own head of hair, the EMH sniffed and said it was a "sore point" with him.

Ensign Paris explained, "The Doctor is a hologram. You know what that is, don't you?"

When Second said he did not, the field medic continued, "He's a photonic projection from the medical database in our computer, personifying our medical program into a visible person who can perform treatments when we need them." Pointing to the Sickbay ceiling, the ensign continued, "The holoemitters are up there. They create his body. We have other spaces which do the same thing elsewhere on the ship, called holodecks. Once the Doc discharges you from Sickbay, I'll take you there and show you how they work."

"If the Doctor is a computer program, why can't you reprogram his appearance so he has hair?"

"Good question. I've asked B'Elanna that, and she says there's some sort of blockage in that part of the program. She can change his appearance in many ways, but says he always ends up bald, no matter what she does. It seems the Doc was programmed to look like his creator, and the creator was bald."

"That is why it's a 'sore point?'"

"That's why."

"Are there holoemitters all over the ship? He's walked out of Sickbay a couple of times."

"The badge the Doc wears on his sleeve sometimes is a tiny holoemitter. It lets him go where there aren't any holoemitters, even off the ship. And I think that's all I have time to tell you, because I can see the Doc glaring at me right now for 'not using my time in Sickbay effectively.' Gotta run."

Five thought to Second, _/I thought his explanation was very effective./_

 _/Agreed. Perhaps the Doctor says that because it is his version of a 'joke.'/_

 _/We should ask Lieutenant Torres if the Doctor is programmed to make jokes./_

=/\=


	13. New Quarters, New Names

=/\=

When the Doctor finally announced that the four of them were to be discharged from Sickbay into "Seven's care," she brought them over to visit with the infant drone - their baby - to say good-bye. Six of Six needed to stay in Sickbay for the time being. The light-haired member of the crew who spent much of her time with the baby, whom Ensign Paris had identified as Crewman Marla Gilmore, was crooning softly to her. Their Collective remained by her crib while the Doctor asked Seven to come to his office, saying he wished to speak with her and with Ensign Paris about something before they left.

Shortly afterwards, Seven, the Doctor, and the ensign came to stand by the baby's crib, too. The EMH made several clearing-of-the-throat sounds, even though Second now knew he had no throat to clear. He sensed Five and the twins were as puzzled as he was by this unusual behavior. The Doctor finally said, "Seven believes the four of you should have a say in our discussion about little Six of Six. I have my doubts, but if you do have anything to contribute, I will listen to anything you have to say. To begin, I need to remove her Borg implants . . . "

"You need to remove them before they cause her trouble, like you did for us. Is this not correct, Doctor?" Second had been told interruptions were not polite, but he knew the Doctor could go on and on if he was not made to focus on what was important.

"As a matter of fact, that's exactly what I need to do. Fortunately, most of her Borg mechanicals and implants never formed properly. While all of you have functioning cortical nodes, for example, hers does not. I can't remove all of the linkages within her brain, just as I could not with you. That could damage her permanently, but the node itself doesn't serve any purpose. I should be able to remove it without any danger to her. And her regeneration system hasn't formed, either. I'll leave some of her 'internal wiring' in place when it can remain where it is without causing any problems. The external contacts will go. Since she will be unable to regenerate, they serve no purpose, either."

"Are you saying no one will see she was Borg when you are finished?" Five asked.

"Well, I must admit I'm reluctant to try to replace the little one's eyepiece with an ocular implant right away, the way I did for Seven. She's so little. She has a great deal of growing to do. I presume her eye growth will be similar to that of other humanoid species, so she would need a succession of temporary prosthetics as she grows to fit her developing eye socket if I remove it. I suppose we could give her an eyepatch for a while until we determine when it would be safe to insert a permanent implant. Do you think . . ."

As soon as the Doctor mentioned the baby's eyepiece, Second recalled the chunk of implant which fell off his face the first time he sat up, after his expulsion from the maturation chamber. He had not recognized it for what it was at the time, but now he was certain it was the focusing component of his ocular implant. It had not formed as it should - and Second still had both of his eyes.

This little one had been transported into the incubation pod directly from its failing chamber. The door never opened for her to exit. No liquids splashed out to loosen any implants which had not formed properly. Icheb knew he must say something. "Doctor, have you determined whether or not she has an eye there? Or if the implant is actually attached to her body?"

"Of course it is. Isn't it?"

Five calmly stated, "My eyepiece landed on the floor when I emerged. First was the only one on our cube who had a functional ocular implant. Many of our implants were not permanently attached to our bodies and fell off, long before we arrived on _Voyager_."

"None of the children were fully assimilated, Doctor," Seven confirmed. "You will recall that the skin of the three younger ones had had almost no grey coloring or mottling. And they still had full heads of hair."

"Don't remind me," the Doctor grumbled.

"Doc, did you check the baby's scans to see if she has a biological eye behind that eyepiece?" Ensign Paris said quickly, to change the subject from heads of hair.

"Not yet, but I was sure . . . " The Doctor stepped over to the medical scanner device and called up a close-up image of the baby's head. He had no need to perform any other scans. They all could see the outline of a biological eye on the screen, which had been obscured by the eyepiece. When they compared the hidden one to her visible eye, the images appeared to be identical.

Marla Gilmore picked the baby up from her crib and held her up to Seven, who cautiously picked on the side of the implant. Almost immediately, it peeled off the baby's face, flipped over, and fell down onto the floor. The little one blinked both eyes, suggesting that the left, a perfect match to the one on the right, captured the light. Except for a small reddened patch around her the eye, which showed where the leathery part of the Borg mechanical had been resting upon her skin, the baby's face seemed to be perfectly formed.

"Well, I stand corrected. We won't need an eye patch or a prosthetic eye after all. One problem solved. I doubt most of her implants will be so easy to remove, but one can hope."

"Doctor, have you identified the baby's race yet?" Crewman Gilmore asked.

"No. Her genome type does not appear in the database of any of the Delta Quadrant races we've encountered so far. Just to be sure, I also checked against our Alpha and Beta Quadrant records. As I anticipated, it's not in any of them, either. She's our 'Baby Borglet of Unknown Species' at the moment."

Second observed that Marla Gilmore was not pleased by what the Doctor had just said. Seven and Ensign Paris had similar expressions on their faces. Since it was unlikely the fact her species was still unknown would have prompted such reactions, he suspected that Doctor's calling their infant the "Baby Borglet" was not appreciated by the others. Second found he didn't care much for that phrase either.

Ensign Paris broke the awkward silence that followed the Doctor's pronouncement. "Doc, if we're going to try removing any of her other implants, maybe we should redo her scans to make sure we know which of them are operational and which ones are just cluttering up her little body. Do you want to begin work on that now?"

"You're quite right, Mr. Paris. We should complete those scans right away. I'm sure our Littlest Borg was very happy all of you came to see her, but visiting hours are _over_ for today." As he said this, the EMH stared pointedly at Marla Gilmore, who reluctantly placed the baby back in her crib, patting her lightly on her torso before sighing and stepping away.

"Come, children. It is time to go. Thank you for all you have done for them." As she said this, Seven attempted to guide the younger children out of Sickbay. While Three and Four readily complied, Seven had to call back to Second and Five, "Are you two coming?"

"Not yet," Five stated firmly. "I have something to say to Ensign Paris first."

Somewhat surprised, Ensign Paris addressed the girl. "What can I do for you, Five?"

"I wish to apologize for shocking you when you were our prisoner on the cube. I am glad I did not damage you permanently."

Mr. Paris' mouth twisted in an odd way. Second could not decide if he was trying to keep himself from laughing or if he was remembering the pain she'd caused. "No apology is necessary; you were just doing your job, defending your 'Collective.' But if it makes you feel better, apology accepted."

Five tilted her head and nodded slightly to acknowledge the ensign's comment. Before Second could usher her towards the Sickbay door, she said, "We must say we are sorry to Ensign Kim, too. He is still recovering from what I did to him."

Second looked back at Seven. She sighed, but then she nodded her permission for this additional delaying tactic.

After Five apologized to Ensign Kim, who accepted it in the same manner Ensign Paris had, Second was able to steer Five to the door. He looked up at Ensign Paris when they passed him. He was grinning broadly as he turned to work with the EMH on the baby's scans.

 _/He was trying not to smile,/_ Second decided.

Five caught his thought. She smiled up at Second. He could feel a tight little smile forming on his lips, too.

Although a Borg was not supposed to show any emotions, that was not true of the crew members and residents of _Voyager_. He had much to learn before he would be truly comfortable on the ship, but Second knew he was making progress in understanding emotions, his own, and other people's, as well. He was pleased to share this moment with Five. From her smile, he thought she was happy to share it with him, too.

=/\=

After they reached the cargo bay, which Seven had explained would be their "quarters," Seven picked up several of the PADDs the _Voyager_ crew used for portable data storage. She explained she had been able to salvage their assimilation profiles, including their names and some "limited biographical data."

"Did you find the designation for our baby?" Five inquired.

"No. There was no record." Seven hesitated, the way Second noticed she always did when she had difficult news to convey and had to decide whether to give it to them or not. Finally, she clarified, "She was assimilated from her mother's womb. She would have remained there for many time units before birth if her parents had not been discovered by the Borg."

"Is that why her respiratory system did not function properly?" Five asked.

"Yes. Even if she had remained inside her mother for a longer period of time, her condition would have been critical if she had been born prematurely."

Five considered this answer for a few seconds before saying, "We should thank the Doctor for saving her life."

"I believe that would be an appropriate activity. _Tomorrow_ ," Seven emphasized. "It is time for you to regenerate now. But first, let me give you your own information. I have recorded it in Borg alphanumerics, as well as in the Federation Standard writing system you have all been studying while you were in Sickbay."

She handed one PADD to Second. He could not read the Federation Standard writing very well yet. Although the Borg alphanumerics were a little easier to comprehend, there was a third script on his PADD which he could decipher easily. It was the same type as the inscription he'd read on the side of the little ship in the cube's storage bay. "Icheb. My name was Icheb."

"Your name _is_ Icheb," Seven noted. Icheb accepted the correction. He recalled this was the second name of his father, although he still could not remember his father's first name. The PADD stated his race was Brunali. That explained the reference to "Brunal" on the small ship.

Five said, "My designation is Mezoti. It is a pretty name."

"Yes, it is," Seven agreed, "and it's all yours."

While Seven spoke with the twins, Icheb subvocally asked Five, whom he must now address as Mezoti, _/Did you read that from the Federation Standard or from Borg?/_

 _/It is also written in Norcadi. I am Norcadian. I must have learned to read before I was assimilated. I am eight years old. If I am that old, I should remember my family; but I do not./_

 _/I do not remember mine, either. Perhaps it will come back to us later./_

Seven had finished speaking with the twins. From now on, Four was to be called Azan, and Three was Rebi. After promising to speak to them more about this the following day, Seven indicated all of them should enter the cubicles behind them. It was time for their "rest period," which for them would be a full regeneration cycle, as she had explained on the way to Cargo Bay Two. They were to share quarters with Seven.

Second ("I must remember my designation is Icheb, now," he reminded himself) and the rest of their Collective each chose a cubicle and stepped back into it. The familiar buzz of the regeneration connection comforted him. It was a link to what little of his past life he could recall. Before he completely lost himself in the sensation of renewing power coursing through his remaining Borg implant system, he heard Seven of Nine say, "Good night. Sweet dreams."

In a last fragment of awareness, Icheb thought it was good to know someone cared about him.

Since he lost consciousness to his regeneration process the following moment, he had no chance to wonder why that concept had come to him just then.

He was soon to know.

=/\=


	14. A New Life

=/\=

In the coming days, Icheb adapted to his new life on _Voyager_. It was not always easy. While they were on the Borg cube, Seven's tendency to rigidity, which contributed to her efficiency, had been refreshing in comparison to First's erratic behavior and lack of competence. Now that Icheb had a chance to observe the way the Starfleet crew functioned, he realized that discipline and rigid behaviors were not necessarily the same thing. While every crew member had a schedule to follow, they could be flexible when completing many of their tasks. If anything, that made them more efficient and adaptable. The ability to adapt was important to the Borg.

Seven set up schedules for studying, the consuming of nutritional substances, periods of regeneration and other activities, which she expected them to follow exactly, to the minute. What was worse, when Seven was called away, she often put Icheb in charge of the others, expecting him to keep them in line according to her own expectations. When he could not control the others - which occurred frequently - Seven chastised him for his failure.

Eventually, Icheb reacted negatively to Seven's rigid control. He rebelled.

One day, when Seven brought their Collective to "have fun" with Ensign Wildman's daughter, the only other child on _Voyager_ , they began to play the game Kadis-kot, a favorite of Naomi Wildman's. Naomi and Mezoti detected Azan and Rebi were cheating by communicating moves subvocally to each other and tattled on them. Seven administered Punishment Protocol 9-Alpha to the twins, ordering them to stand in a corner.

Icheb found himself feeling and acting towards her exactly as he had towards First and his unreasonable expectations. When Icheb refused to participate in the game if Azan and Rebi were excluded, Seven tried to institute the same punishment protocol to him. His response to her was, "You never let us do what we want to do." Instead of going to the corner, Icheb stomped out of the room in disgust.

Later, Seven was in Astrometrics when Commander Chakotay came in to speak with her. As Icheb now knew, he was Captain Janeway's "Second," the officer captured from the _Delta Flyer_ whose face was marked with what Icheb had since learned were called tattoos. After his "discussion" with Seven, Icheb noticed their schedules were more reasonable.

Once Seven gave him the right to do more things when he wanted to do them, Icheb spent even more of his time at the computer working on his lessons than Seven required. While the younger children were engaged in playtime activities, with or without the presence of Naomi Wildman, he was more interested in increasing his knowledge about all types of scientific principles. Once he learned how to read Federation Standard well, which did not take long, he spent much of his time exploring _Voyager's_ database. He was especially enthralled to learn about stars, planets, nebulas, and space phenomena in general. He spoke often with Ensigns Megan and Jenny Delaney in Stellar Cartography, and he begged Seven to allow him to work with her in Astrometrics. After discussing his request with Captain Janeway, Seven allowed him to accompany her to her duty station when he was not scheduled for other educational curricula. In a very short time, Seven complimented him on his work ethic. Icheb flushed with pride.

Once he felt he was being appreciated for his accomplishments (and less restricted by Seven's rigid schedules), he enjoyed watching over his "siblings" when Seven requested he do so, whenever she was called away. Keeping track of Azan and Rebi was always a challenge. They kept to themselves and communicated subvocally with one another most of the time, except when he insisted they speak verbally. They seldom engaged in group activities unless Seven ordered them to participate. Since they were able to block Icheb from comprehending their silent conversations, he had to ask Mezoti what was going on when he suspected their activities might lead to punishment protocols for the group. She always seemed to be able to understand them.

Mezoti, in fact, had the easiest time communicating subvocally of all of them. Icheb remembered she had exhibited this capacity when they were on their cube. He conjectured that her neural interface must have developed more completely than the others' had. It was somewhat surprising, then, that Mezoti was more likely to speak verbally with the rest of _Voyager's_ inhabitants than the twins or Icheb was. He suspected Naomi's influence had something to do with that.

Ensign Wildman often took Naomi and Mezoti to the holodeck to engage in activities together. They visited a program Naomi called "Trevis and Flotter" quite often. Mezoti also enjoyed visiting Ensign Paris's creation "Fair Haven." She told Icheb that Naomi had shown her a beach near the town, where they watched little fish in tide pools at the water's edge, and picked up shells from the sand. Unless they replicated them first, the shells disappeared from their hands when they walked out of the holodeck. Mezoti said that was "part of the fun."

Even though he was familiar with the facts about the Doctor's existence, Icheb had trouble wrapping his head around the idea that a computer program could create a convincing facsimile of planetary topology, even to an ocean filled with water. After _Voyager_ went into orbit over a planet the inhabitants had designated Teirenia, where Icheb and the other children were allowed to take Shore Leave, Icheb visited Fair Haven with Ensign Kim. Icheb had to admit the town seemed as real to his senses as Teirenia had. He could not tell it was all just an illusion.

=/\=

Several weeks after they arrived on _Voyager_ , Seven told them about an activity Captain Janeway had established called " _Voyager's_ _First Annual Science Fair_." They were all to produce an exhibit illustrating a scientific concept of some type. Icheb considered this to be a wonderful opportunity. He had just conceived of an experiment he believed would be helpful to _Voyager's_ crew, since almost all of them declared how eager they were to return home to the Alpha Quadrant. Mezoti was also enthused by the prospect. Azan and Rebi seemed less motivated, but they reluctantly agreed to participate.

The children worked on their experiments in one of the ship's labs. Naomi researched climate patterns on her father's home planet and constructed a globe with surface animations to replicate her discoveries. Mezoti decided to use her ant colony for her exhibit. When they'd visited Teirenia, Mezoti had spoken with one of the crewmen, Noah Lessing, who told her that ant colonies were organized under the leadership of a queen. She was intrigued and asked him to help her obtain an ant colony to study. One of the farmers on the planet was happy to oblige them, since the ants sometimes interfered with the formation of delicate types of fruit. The farmer said he was sorry they only took one colony back to _Voyager_.

Azan and Rebi first announced they wished to clone Naomi Wildman. Mezoti scoffed, _/They know Seven won't let them try. They just want her to let them do something else that's easy./_ Mezoti was right, of course. They cloned a potato instead.

Icheb was confident his experiment would turn out to be the "winner," if the captain turned it into a competition, like the pool tournament he attended one night with Seven, Paris and Torres, and Ensign Kim in Sandrine's. In his studies of engineering principles, he had conceived an idea about how to construct a high-resolution gravimetric sensor array to augment _Voyager's_ ability to scan for neutrino fluxes, often associated with wormholes. When the fair was announced, he showed Seven his research and some three-dimensional images he'd made of his design. Seven examined them and agreed his principles were sound. With guidance from Ensign Kim on how to program replicators, he was able to produce a working model.

Icheb basked in the praise his experiment received from the captain and from Lieutenant Torres. Afterwards, Icheb confided to Ensign Paris, "I promise to work on my invention to increase its resolution and range. You may find yourself home in the Alpha Quadrant sooner than you ever thought, thanks to my work."

Ensign Paris didn't seem quite as pleased as Icheb had expected. "You know, B'Elanna and I feel we're at home on _Voyager_ already, but I'm sure the rest of the crew will be very grateful if your invention helps them get home to their families more quickly."

"Ensign Paris, I understand. I feel I'm at home on _Voyager_ , too."

Only a few hours after he'd said this, Icheb received some very unwelcome news, reminding him of something he'd heard Mr. Paris say a short time before. After the previously deceased Ensign Lyndsay Ballard arrived on _Voyager_ and declared herself to be "home," he'd heard Ensign Paris remark, "I hope those aren't 'famous last words,' Harry." When she decided to go back to the people who had resurrected her, the Kobali, that's exactly what they had turned out to be.

The captain told Seven his Brunali parents had been found. They wanted him back. Seven was the one who had to break this to him. He was not happy.

He rebelled again. When _Voyager_ went into orbit over Brunal, he said he did not want to meet them. When the captain ordered him to go down to the planet's surface, even in Icheb's own eyes, he was rude to his mother Yifay and father Leucon. The captain was not pleased with him and invited his parents to stay on _Voyager_ for a while so they could get to know each other.

His mother Yifay prepared a special dish that was Icheb's favorite when he was little, called _poma_. It was a type of filled dumpling he found to be delicious once he sampled it. He agreed to go down to the planet for another visit, but this time, he left the belligerent attitude back on _Voyager_. His father showed him a device the Brunali had developed for genetic resequencing, a process which helped them create plants that could survive in the hostile environments existing on their planet ever since the depredations of the Borg. That day, when Seven came to take him back up to _Voyager_ , he decided to spend the night with his parents instead. He remained on the planet with this mother while Leucon accompanied Seven up to _Voyager_ to fetch a portable regeneration unit for Icheb to use that night.

Icheb enjoyed that night's stay, and the next day, he had the difficult task of telling Seven he had decided to remain with his parents on Brunal. He knew this decision would be painful for her to accept. Truthfully, it was painful for him as well, but visiting his home planet made him appreciate he had a responsibility to help rebuild this world.

Mezoti, Azan, Rebi, and Naomi said good-bye to him in Crewman Gilmore's quarters. Even though he knew she'd never remember him later, Icheb wanted to say good-bye to their infant drone Aimee, who lived with Marla Gilmore and was now called by the name Marla had given to her. Ensign Wildman comforted Naomi, who was very tearful. While Mezoti, like Azan and Rebi, didn't shed any tears, her subvocal farewell to Icheb let him know just how badly she was hurting by his abandonment of them. She made that very clear from her thoughts.

 _/I hope the captain finds your family, too,/_ he thought back to her. Mezoti turned her face away at this communication. He wished there was some way they could stay together, but he knew his parents probably would not be willing to become Mezoti's parents, too. Besides, Captain Janeway still hoped to find Mezoti's family. He was sure she would never agree to leave Mezoti with people who were not her own.

In the transporter room, Seven presented Icheb with a heavy bag. "Inside you'll find PADDs containing data on a variety of subjects that will allow you to continue your studies. I've also included a high-resolution telescope. It's a poor substitute for Astrometric Sensors." She sounded very apologetic, and so sad, when she spoke to him.

"I will use it every day," Icheb promised. _/And I will think of you every time I do, Seven,/_ he thought. While Seven had never shown any sign her neural interface was tuned to his, he knew Mezoti caught what he was thinking. He sensed she was "overhearing" him, as she so often did, because he felt their mutual stab of pain by the finality of this good-bye.

As he stepped onto the platform with all of the belongings he'd managed to gather during his short time on _Voyager_ , he said aloud, so both Seven and the captain could hear, "Thank you, Captain. I hope you find a way home."

The last thing he saw as the transporter shimmered him away was Seven's sad face, with her subvocal communication echoing in his head, _/Good-bye, Icheb. I will never forget you./_

=/\=


	15. Betrayal

=/\=

For three and a half days, Icheb experienced the agrarian life on his home planet. Just as he'd promised Seven, he spent time on his studies in the early morning, before the sun rose, and for a couple of hours after dark. After breakfast, he went to the genetic resequencing shed and studied how the device within it worked. He decided it was just as fascinating as any of the mechanisms he'd worked with on _Voyager_. While he missed seeing the flow of stars outside _Voyager_ as it flew through space, finding ways to alter DNA to adapt to new conditions was a challenge he believed would satisfy his need for scientific investigation.

When he came home for the midday meal, his mother was usually elsewhere. Leucon explained that her duties took her further away from their home than Leucon's. She seldom returned for this meal. Icheb didn't mind. He was able to share his impressions of how his new life was going with his father. He enjoyed speaking with Leucon, who always listened attentively to Icheb's perceptions and plans for the future. Icheb felt they were becoming more and more comfortable with each other every day.

After the midday meal, Icheb spent the next couple of hours in classes with other Brunali adolescents. Although he had been gone from Brunal for only a few months, upon his return he was placed in a more advanced class than the one he'd attended before his assimilation. Remi, who had been his best friend, was born a few years earlier than Icheb. Now, Icheb seemed to be the older of the two, but neither of them really minded. When he'd first transported down to the planet's surface and Remi had asked him to play a game of _pala_ , Icheb could not remember its rules. After his first day of classes, Remi took Icheb to a field where their friends were playing _pala_. By the time the first game was finished, all the rules had come back to him, as well as much of his former skill - if Remi was to be believed.

In the evening, when he came home, Yifay always seemed a little cool towards Icheb, compared to the way she had interacted with him before _Voyager_ left orbit. He forgave her for this, since he remembered how difficult his own adjustment had been when he first came to _Voyager_ to live. His father spoke about the stars with him while they cleaned up from their evening meal. On the third night, he actually sat with Icheb and looked through the telescope with him, observing the shadow of the largest moon of their system as it traveled over the third planet's surface. Leucon expressed just as much excitement as Icheb did during their observations. Although Seven had included imaging equipment in the satchel she'd sent down with Icheb, Leucon sketched an impression of the moon's transit and tacked it onto the wall of their home. Icheb found it difficult to express just how happy it made him to see the drawing hanging in their kitchen.

When he went to bed that night, Icheb felt his decision to stay with his parents was definitely the right one. He knew everything was going to turn out okay.

=/\=

Mezoti couldn't remain still. Ever since she had begun her regeneration cycle that night, she'd been unable to relax enough to actually lose consciousness, the way she usually did. The power coursing through her body to refresh her remaining implants wasn't helping her tonight. It was no use. She would never be able to complete her cycle like this.

When she stepped out of the cubicle, the voice warned her, "regeneration cycle incomplete" - as if Mezoti didn't already know that!

Mezoti walked over to Seven's cubicle and tugged on her wrist.

When Seven opened her eyes, Mezoti said, plaintively, "I can't regenerate."

As she stepped out of her own cubicle, to another warning of an incomplete regeneration cycle, Seven said, "Explain."

"I miss Icheb."

"So do I," Seven replied softly. "But we'll adapt. Now return to your alcove."

"If you find my parents, will I have to go with them?"

Seven looked uncomfortable with Mezoti's question, but she answered, "We'll worry about that when and if the time comes."

"I hope you _don't_ find them."

Seven did not provide Mezoti with the answer she had hoped to hear. All she said was, "Regenerate."

Reluctantly, Mezoti stepped back into her cubicle, but she did not immediately restart her cycle, calling out to Seven, "What if the Borg try to assimilate Icheb again?"

"His people lack resources. The Borg have little reason to return to their planet."

"But what if Icheb's on a ship?" Mezoti worried. When Seven responded this was unlikely, Mezoti explained, "He was on a ship last time."

"You're mistaken," Seven answered. "He was on the surface when he was assimilated."

Mezoti knew otherwise, "No. He wasn't." She recited the information she recalled from the Borg cube's database. "A class-one transport was detected in grid 649 . . . one life form . . . species: Brunali."

Now that she had given voice to her fears and told her story to the one person who might help prevent disaster, Mezoti found she was able to let go of consciousness and allow the regeneration cycle to refresh the Borg part of her Norcadi body.

=/\=

When Mezoti's regeneration cycle had been completed, she opened her eyes to see Seven hard at work at a computer console. Azan and Rebi were both still in their cubicles, showing no sign yet of becoming conscious of the new day. Although it was still very early, Mezoti stepped down and stood next to Seven.

"You look troubled," Mezoti said.

Seven looked down at her. "I am."

"You found out he was on a ship, not on the planet's surface."

"You are correct. Icheb's father lied to me. The story he told me does not fit the facts. Yours does."

Azan and Rebi stirred in their cubicles, which announced their regeneration cycles were complete. "Mezoti, go to the mess hall with Azan and Rebi for your morning nutrition. I have called the captain and asked to speak with her."

"Will she let us go back to get Icheb?"

Seven said nothing for several seconds, but finally she whispered, "I hope so."

=/\=

Icheb came home for the evening, happy to bring his parents the good news. "We won three games - in a row!"

He had expected them to be happy for him, but Leucon had a very sour look on his face. His mother did not even look in his direction as she said, "Sit down, Icheb. We need to talk."

His father moved away to the corner of the room as Icheb sat down near the table.

His mother said, "You know that you're very important to us." Icheb agreed with her, although he was confused about why she needed to say this. Hadn't she made this clear when she convinced him to stay here on his home planet to live with his parents?

She stood up then and went to the other side of the room. "What you don't know . . . is why."

Icheb became even more confused. "What do you mean?"

He saw his mother pick up an instrument that looked like the hyposprays the Doctor used on _Voyager_. "What is that?" he asked. He looked towards his father, but Leucon was not looking in Icheb's direction.

"If you relax, it won't hurt you," Yifay said, taking a step towards him.

In stunned disbelief, Icheb called out for his father's help. When Yifay told Leucon, "You'd better hold him," he thought his father would stay where he was, or even come to help him; but Leucon obeyed his wife and grabbed Icheb by the neck.

"What are you doing to me? No!" he cried out. His father held him still while Yifay plunged the instrument into his neck.

Even as he lost consciousness, Icheb could not bring himself to accept that his parents meant him any harm.

=/\=


	16. Imperfection

=/\=

At first, Icheb thought he must be dreaming. He seemed to be in _Voyager's_ Sickbay, but that was impossible.

When he turned his head, however, he heard Mezoti's voice call out, "Doctor! Icheb is awake!"

"Ah. Finally, the young man rejoins us." The EMH approached and checked the scanning device next to the bed on which Icheb was lying.

Groggily, Icheb thought it must be some mistake, or an illusion, like the holodeck programs he participated in on the ship. He could not believe he was back on _Voyager_.

But there were no holodecks on Brunal, and Icheb could feel the surface of a biobed beneath his back, and the faint sounds of a life support system circulating the air around him. He _must_ be on _Voyager_ , but how? Why?

He sifted through his last memories. He remembered coming into the kitchen of his home on Brunal. His parents were there, but the smells of supper had been absent.

He sat up suddenly and grabbed his neck where Yifay had stabbed him with her instrument.

"Whoa, whoa! No sudden moves, please. I don't want you fainting on me, Icheb," the Doctor cautioned.

The Sickbay doors opened, and Seven and the captain both rushed in.

Seven swallowed visibly before she said, in a somewhat wobbly voice, "How are you feeling, Icheb?"

"Confused," he answered honestly.

Captain Janeway smiled slightly and said huskily, "I imagine you are."

"Why am I back on _Voyager_?"

Mezoti answered, "We came back to get you. You're staying here with us now."

And silently she added, _/Your parents were evil, Icheb. They lied to all of us, and to you, worst of all. They were sending you to the Borg, but we came back and rescued you./_

Icheb looked in turn at each of them. The Doctor looked professional. The captain looked grim. Seven looked upset. And Mezoti looked like she wanted to kill someone. Icheb suspected it was Yifay and Leucon.

Groaning, Icheb lay down on the biobed again and decided he wanted to go back to sleep for a long, long time.

=/\=

Seven refused to confirm what Mezoti had conveyed to him subvocally. The captain told him he should not worry about anything right now, but he could remain on _Voyager_ "for as long as you want to stay."

As soon as he was discharged by the Doctor, he went to the science lab next to Sickbay, where Seven would not think to look for him unless she searched for him using the ship's sensors. The official logs of the incident were dry and factual, but the space between the words was chilling. Mezoti had been right. His parents had betrayed him. They'd knocked him out with that injection to make him easier to manage when they piled him into another one-man transport. He didn't know if it looked like the one he'd seen in their cube: "Transport 147-A-Brunal." He wondered what identification label this one had. Was it "Transport 147-B?"

He was awash with bitterness. That was an emotion he believed would always come over him whenever he thought about his parents. Why had they sent him back to the Borg? What had he ever done to make them do this to him? Because from the evidence, this must be the second time they'd done it. It could not be a coincidence that he had been placed in small one-man transports twice to be sent into the path of the Borg.

He was still sitting there when Ensign Paris came into the lab.

"You don't look surprised," Icheb told him.

"I'm not. When Mezoti told me you never made it to your quarters, I thought I might find you in here. Find anything interesting?" he asked, as he walked next to Icheb's console. "Ah. I thought the captain was going to block your access to that set of logs."

"She did, but it was easy to hack into it."

"Must have been a Freudian slip on her part, Icheb. She knows ways to keep people out that even Harry doesn't know. Not B'Elanna, though. I'm sure she could find anything the captain locked away, too."

The field medic/pilot read the entry. "Not a lot of detail, but I guess it's enough for you to figure out most of the story."

"Ensign Paris, you were awake for a while in the _Delta Flyer_ after our Collective captured it. Did you see the small ship in the spaceship storage bay?"

"In the Borg 'cube of death?' Yeah, I saw it. That's the one the Borg took you from the first time, right?"

"Yes. I remembered what happened when I was taking you and Commander Chakotay out of the _Delta Flyer_."

"Is that when you told Mezoti about it?"

"How did you know? You were unconscious."

"Mezoti told Seven you were taken from a ship. Leucon told her you had been stolen from Brunal's surface. But the dates he gave Seven didn't match up with the dates of the Borg's attacks on Brunal that we'd learned about from other sources. That's how Seven convinced Captain Janeway to go back to make sure you were okay."

"What did my parents say when you asked to see me?"

"It's in the official log," he said, obviously trying to avoid answering Icheb's question.

"Tell me what you heard. You were at the helm, weren't you?"

Ensign Paris looked down at his feet, shook his head, then sighed and admitted, "They said you weren't around. And that's when Seven's sensors picked up your transport heading towards the Borg transwarp corridor. When we told them we were going to your ship, they told us we had no right to interfere. They were trying to save their civilization by using the only resource they had. Their 'genetic expertise.'"

"I see. But how?" Icheb whispered this aloud, while he thought about everything Ensign Paris had said. Then it struck him. "The virus that killed all of the adults on our Collective's cube. Was I the one that brought it there? Was I the one who turned it into . . . what did you call it? The 'cube of death?'"

The ensign didn't answer Icheb. He didn't need to. The pained expression on his face said it all. "I was a weapon. I brought it to them when the drones assimilated me. I'm responsible for all of their deaths."

"Icheb, you weren't the one responsible. Your parents were."

For several silent minutes, Icheb sat with Ensign Paris, turning over everything in his mind. He wasn't responsible, he understood that; but it didn't make him feel much better. He had brought death to all the drones, an unwitting accomplice to his parents' schemes.

"How could they do this to me? Did they ever care about me at all?"

"I wish I could answer that, Icheb. Parents do strange things sometimes. I must admit, this is the strangest thing I've ever heard a parent do, but desperate people do terrible things sometimes."

"If they were so desperate, why didn't they put the virus inside themselves and be assimilated by the Borg, instead of doing it to their son."

Ensign Paris closed his eyes and solemnly shook his head. He didn't answer Icheb right away, but finally he admitted, "This was engineered into your DNA from birth. I don't know if it would be possible to put it into all the Brunali."

"They could have tried. If they put it in everyone's DNA from birth, if the Borg ever came back and assimilated _anyone_ , the virus would be introduced without sending any of their children to the Borg. It would just happen."

"True. And if the Borg figured out how that happened, they'd probably come back to Brunal and simply blow it up, along with everyone who lived on the planet. That might be why you had so few memories of your past life. Your parents probably found some way to remove them so the Borg couldn't trace where you came from very easily. Genetically, of course."

"Of course," Icheb said bitterly. "And the fact my first ship had 'Brunal' on the side wouldn't have let the Borg know where the virus came from?"

"Whoops. That was definitely an oversight on their part," the field medic agreed.

"How will I ever get over this, Ensign? My parents were willing to send me to a living death as a Borg. Twice. They couldn't have loved me. They lied to me. I wish I could forget them again, but I don't think I ever will."

"You know, Icheb, I've had a very difficult relationship with my father. My mom was always pretty understanding, but my father and I never did see eye to eye on much. But since we were contacted by Pathfinder, I've seen my father on our viewscreen, and he seems to have changed. Or maybe I was the one who changed. He was Captain Janeway's mentor, and he was always good to her. It could be he always loved me but didn't have a good way to show it to his son, the way he did to the captain."

"He never sent you to be assimilated by the Borg."

"No, but there are a few things he did that I still think were completely unfair and unkind. My point is, no one is perfect. Certainly not me. And not parents, either. I'm not telling you to love them after this, Icheb. Only you can decide if you can justify what they did and forgive them. But I _am_ saying everyone has to accept one thing: perfection, no matter what the Borg say, can never be achieved by any living being. Questing for perfection, although we will inevitability fail, is the best we can hope for. And we still _should_ always strive for it, even though we know it's impossible. People always make mistakes, no matter what species they are. Parents included."

Icheb didn't comment, but he did hear what Ensign Paris told him. He knew he had to carefully consider all the field medic/pilot had said.

The ensign wasn't finished, however. "You know, Icheb, sometimes parents turn out to be unfit and have their children taken away from them for the children's safety. That's what Captain Janeway did for you. Just remember, you have someone in your life who does love you - even though I doubt she'll ever say it to your face." He chuckled then. "I have to admit, I don't say it to my B'Elanna as often as I should. Luckily, she knows I'm saying it sometimes in ways other than words. I'd advise you to develop the same skill."

"You mean Seven?"

"What do you think?"

Icheb didn't answer in words; but he shrugged his shoulders; and he felt his face relax.

"There you are, Mr. Paris!" The EMH exclaimed, as he entered the lab. "And Icheb, I thought you promised me you would go directly back to your cargo bay when I released you from Sickbay. Is Mr. Paris giving you lessons on how to say one thing and do another?"

Icheb sighed. "No, he's giving me lessons on how to accept imperfection when there isn't any alternative. Thank you, Ensign Paris. I'll try."

As Icheb left the lab, he could hear the Doctor ask the field medic, "He's having a rough time about this, isn't he?"

Icheb didn't hear Ensign Paris's answer, but he knew the answer had to be "yes."

=/\=


	17. Is It My Destiny?

=/\=

Ensign Paris had given Icheb much to think about. He had heard gossip about the ensign's past life, of course. It remained an interesting topic to many of the crew. He came on board _Voyager_ in the captain's custody as a prisoner on parole, because he'd been convicted of crimes against the Federation committed when he was a member of the Maquis. Before that, he had been ejected from Starfleet for lying about an accident he had caused, which resulted in the death of other officers. Icheb also heard he had been demoted in rank from a lieutenant to ensign very recently, because he disobeyed the captain's orders during the "Monean Incident." If all of this was true, Icheb could not understand how the captain could trust him to hold two very responsible positions, as _Voyager's_ Chief Helmsman, and its Chief Field Medic as well. Thanks to the Pathfinder Project, communications now existed between the Alpha Quadrant and _Voyager._ All of this history was known to Starfleet Command, yet Mr. Paris was allowed to act as one of the senior officers on the ship. How could this be?

After Icheb reviewed the official Starfleet records of Thomas Eugene Paris, the son of Admiral Owen Paris, he learned more details about his history. Paris _had_ lied about the accident, but later, he came forward and admitted his guilt, even though no one suspected he had not spoken truthfully from the beginning. Since this was considered a case of "too little, too late," he was thrown out of Starfleet anyway. His career in the Maquis had been very short, only lasting a few weeks, and there did not seem much to indicate how he had broken Federation laws during that time period. He had been convicted of treason anyway. In the "Monean Incident," the people of that world of water were in the process of destroying it. When he tried to stop them, he disobeyed the direct orders of Captain Janeway. Disobeying orders like this is insubordination, worthy of punishment in itself. And since interfering with the Moneans constituted a violation of the "Prime Directive" of Starfleet, the captain was obligated to punish him or be considered in violation of the directive herself. She sentenced him to spend thirty days in the brig and demoted him;, but when he left the brig, he resumed his prior positions of responsibility and fulfilled them as well as, or perhaps, even better than he had before.

Apparently, there was no one on board _Voyager_ who understood more about making mistakes than Ensign Paris, or about how striving for perfection was more impossible than the Borg would ever credit. Ensign Paris sought redemption, even though it was likely many would never forgive him no matter how hard he tried. Icheb thought no one was better suited to give an ex-Borg advice about a parent's failures, either, for the record also described several instances which suggested Admiral Paris's actions towards his son were very much at variance with the ways he'd supported Captain Janeway, his protégée. In their talk, Ensign Paris indicated that while his father may have changed, perhaps the ensign had, as well.

Did Yifay and Leucon think they had made a mistake by sacrificing his life and sending him to the Borg? Would they be able to change their minds about what they'd done? After all, they'd done it to him twice. Had they ever had feelings for him?

Thinking back on his short time with them on Brunal, Icheb could now see that his mother distanced herself from him as soon as _Voyager_ left orbit. While that could have been because she felt some pain at the prospect of losing him again, Icheb thought the way she spoke to him that last night, when she told his father to hold Icheb while she sedated him, was cold and calculating. If Icheb's life was to be sacrificed to save their civilization, the least she could have done was tell him why this sacrifice was so important. Although Icheb wanted to remain an individual, he had eyes. He could see how the Brunali had suffered from Borg attacks. If his parents trusted Icheb with the truth, he might have made the decision to go along with their plan. To save the many, he might be willing to sacrifice his own life as an individual. After all, he had learned one of the tenets of Starfleet was, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or of the one."

But his mother never bothered to tell him.

Leucon, on the other hand, had treated him like he imagined a father usually treated a son he cared about. Icheb remembered the night they watched the moon's transit across the nearby planet and made the drawing Leucon put up on their wall. Was that drawing still there? If Leucon had the choice, Icheb was fairly sure it still would be. Yifay might have torn it down as soon as Icheb had been pushed into the small ship and sent into the path of the Borg, in a vessel modified to emit signs suggesting it was far more powerful and interesting to them than it actually was. That was a cold, deliberate act.

Now he recalled his father's face when Icheb entered the house that last evening. It wasn't so much a sour expression as a mournful one. Leucon had moved as far away from Yifay as it was possible to do in that small room. He had responded to her request to hold Icheb for the injection, but almost reluctantly. Icheb remembered the gentle way his father held him as he lost consciousness. It was almost like he was cradling his child as he fell asleep.

Icheb could not explain this behavior, unless his father truly was sacrificing Icheb to save the Brunali civilization - and at the very least, he was not happy about it. Icheb hadn't noticed any tension between his parents when he first walked in; but now, he realized, he hadn't seen it because he was so eager to tell them about the games his team had won. Had Yifay and Leucon been arguing about something? Him?

He probably would never know. That might be the hardest thing of all to accept.

Ensign Paris told Icheb he was the only one who could decide if their actions were justified, if he could ever forgive them for what they'd done. To do that, he needed to learn what they'd done to him when they turned him into a weapon against the Borg. He was supposed to be working on spatial harmonics in Astrometrics this afternoon. The Borg-enhanced equipment there made it as good a place as any to investigate the subject he now wished to examine. Himself.

=/\=

He was staring intently at the screen when Seven entered. "I thought you were studying spatial harmonics."

It never occurred to him to switch away to what he was supposed to be viewing. "My parents thought I would have an aptitude for genetics as well."

"I see. What have you learned?"

"This is the genome of a typical Brunali male . . . and this is my DNA. They're nearly identical - but do you notice the differences in the third, thirteenth and seventeenth chromosomes? My parents made microgenetic alterations so I would produce the pathogen. Quite . . . ingenious."

"It's also barbaric." The contempt in Seven's voice was impossible to miss.

"They were trying to defend themselves . . . their way of life . . . preserve their species."

"I know how difficult it is to acknowledge your parents' faults, but what they did was wrong. You don't have to forgive them."

Icheb immediately recognized this was less about him than it was about Seven, and her feelings about her own parents' carelessness with her safety, which led to her own assimilation. He knew she would never forgive them for that mistake.

Icheb had come to a different conclusion about his own parents' actions, painful as it was to accept. "Do you think my parents will ever forgive me? I could have destroyed that sphere. I failed them."

Seven shook her head. "You would have been re-assimilated."

"I know, but . . . maybe it was my destiny."

She accorded him the honor of giving his answer due consideration before gently responding, "Maybe. In the future, you may choose to fight the Borg, but you'll do it in your own way. You're an individual. And you have the right to determine your own destiny." She paused a moment before reverting to the Seven he knew and, he could admit to himself - if not to her - loved. "It's time to regenerate."

He smiled, ever so slightly, with an up-tilted eyebrow that softened the implicit challenge in his words, "And if I prefer to continue studying?"

Her smile matched his own. "It's your decision."

And Icheb knew he was in the perfect place to learn exactly what his destiny was meant to be - painful or not.

=/\=


	18. Complex Social Behaviors

=/\=

Over the next few months, Icheb, Mezoti, Azan, and Rebi embraced their individuality, making many more decisions for themselves as challenging situations arose. While all of the children looked to their primary guardian Seven of Nine for advice and guidance, other members of the crew had also become important sources of information.

Icheb liked to spend time with Ensign Paris and Ensign Kim. Both of them insisted upon Icheb's calling them by their informal names of Tom and Harry, unless they were on "ship's official business" during duty shifts. The Doctor and Captain Janeway often used "Mr. Paris" or "Mr. Kim" when addressing them while they were on duty. Icheb was told it was permissible for him to use this form of greeting when they were "on the job" as well.

Seven had expressed some reservations about Icheb's having a close association with them at first. While Seven had told Icheb how much both had helped her when she'd first came on board, offering to help her understand "complex interpersonal relationships between individuals," she took a dim view of what she called their "antics," calling their pranks "immature and thoughtless." She specifically warned them against helping them reprogram any device or holodeck program used by Commander Tuvok. "If they ask you to do this, refuse! They take a juvenile delight making Tuvok the subject of ridicule. It isn't as funny as they think it is. It is inappropriate. I will not tolerate it!"

Icheb uncovered a streak of perversity within himself when she made this declaration, and at first he was eager to help them with this alleged form of "fun" if they ever asked him to. That is, until he had a talk with Ensign Paris. What Tom said made him decide her reasons to forbid this type of activity were sound.

Right after the late Ensign Lyndsay Ballard, who became Jhet'leya, chose to return to the Kobali, the people who'd resurrected her from the dead, Harry had convinced Mezoti to help him alter one of Tuvok's meditation programs. When Seven learned about the "tweaks" they'd made to Tuvok's "Temple of T'Panit" program, which involved replacing the monks' chants with rather rude Ferengi phrases, Mezoti received Seven's Punishment Protocol Five: Severe Chastisement. Afterwards, Mezoti told Icheb she felt the emotion of shame when Seven expressed her disappointment with her actions.

"Seven told me it was disrespectful of Vulcan culture. Commander Tuvok had to utilize some of his off-duty time restoring his program, when he could have spent the time in meditation if we hadn't done what we did. She made me tell him I was sorry. When he accepted my apologies, he was very calm, the way he usually is; but I believe he felt bad about it. I won't do it again."

When Seven told him he was not to participate in "pranks" like this, Icheb went to Tom and asked him about what Seven said. Tom admitted, "Harry and I have a sort of competition with Tuvok. We 'pull pranks' on him, that's true. Most of the time, Tuvok scolds us and lets things go. Sometimes we go too far, and he gives out extra assignments he knows will annoy us to get back at us. But Mezoti is right. Beneath that supposedly 'emotionless' Vulcan exterior, Tuvok has very strong feelings."

"You would never know it from the way he acts," Icheb observed.

"If you spent enough time with him, you'd know it. Tuvok, The Doc, and I had an away mission go bad on us about a year or so ago, before you came on _Voyager_. We got stuck on this weird planet with a temporal displacement thing going on that made us think we were there for months, even though we were only gone for a couple of days to everyone on _Voyager_. We were certain they'd given us up for lost and had gone on their way. I thought I'd never see B'Elanna again. Tuvok has a wife, four children, and a granddaughter on Vulcan, so even though he usually seemed calm, he spent a lot of time off by himself, meditating. I finally got him to admit he must meditate in order to control these deep emotions he's never supposed to show to anyone.

"You know, Icheb, it must be really hard for him around all of us volatile humans, Bajorans, Bolians - not to mention my beautiful, half-Klingon B'Elanna. Even Vorik isn't always able to deal with his emotions as well as you'd expect from someone who comes from Vulcan, since he's still so young. So when Harry asked me about changing the "Temple of T'Panit" program a while ago, I told him that might not be a great idea. When I turned Harry down, I guess I should have told him why, though. It's one thing to program Tuvok's replicator and tactical station to say 'Live long and prosper' when he activates them. That's a joke, and I don't think Tuvok even minds it that much because the captain always has a good laugh when he tells her about that sort of thing. Messing with his meditation programs is something else entirely. Seven's absolutely right. Interfering with someone's most sacred cultural traditions _is_ disrespectful, especially when you consider how much comfort they can bring someone dealing with difficult times. Being away from his family is that sort of difficult time for Tuvok."

"Thanks for telling me, Tom. I see what you mean."

"Any time, Icheb. And by the way, in case you didn't hear, the captain administered Seven's 'Punishment Protocol Five' to Harry when she heard about it. That's also known in some circles as 'a severe tongue-lashing.' Let Mezoti know her partner in crime was disciplined, too. It might make her feel a little better."

Mezoti was pleased to hear she hadn't been the only one disciplined for their actions. All of this reaffirmed Icheb's perception that, while Tom Paris sometimes acted as if he were a kid even younger than Icheb, when a person needed an explanation for what Seven called "complex social behavior," Tom could give you one, vividly illustrated by his own life experiences, that made a lot of sense. Even Seven acknowledged his "superiority" in this regard.

=/\=

Shortly after the captain returned to _Voyager_ from an away mission with Tal Celes, Billy Telfer, and Mortimer Herron - actually, more of a rescue - an incident occurred which prompted Icheb to go to Tom for an explanation of what had really happened.

 _Voyager_ encountered a one-person spaceship, and the captain gave the pilot permission to come aboard. According to the ship's "scuttlebutt network," the ship's pilot was someone named Kes, who had lived on _Voyager_ for the first three years of its journey through the Delta Quadrant. She was also said to be a friend of Neelix, Naomi Wildman's godfather. She "came aboard" when her ship crashed into _Voyager_ , doing considerable damage to Main Engineering, as well as to several other decks in the secondary hull. If the captain hadn't ordered them evacuated by all personnel after she'd given this Kes permission to come onto the ship, it was likely many of the engineers would have been severely injured, or even killed, from the collision. A short time later, one of _Voyager's_ precious shuttles departed, with Kes on board. While the captain and Commander Tuvok apparently had spoken with her, Icheb didn't know if anyone else had.

Icheb was tabbed to help the repair crews, primarily as a "go-fer." Tom told Icheb this meant his job was to "go-for" tools and parts when the crew asked him to bring them to where they were working. Tom was there, helping Lieutenant Torres. During a break, Icheb asked Tom, "You knew Kes, didn't you? Was that who was in the ship that crashed?"

Tom paused a long time before confirming her identify.

"Do you think Kes deliberately crashed her ship into _Voyager_?" Icheb asked.

"No idea. And I don't want to know."

He could tell Tom didn't want to continue the conversation, but this was too strange a thing for Icheb to put out of his mind until he'd received a better explanation. He changed tactics. "I heard Neelix was very unhappy she hadn't come to see him while she was here, since she used to be his girlfriend."

"I'm sure he was," Tom answered, a bit brusquely, as he picked up his tool set and stood up to leave. "Break time's over, Icheb. Nice talking with you," and started to walk off.

"Tom?"

The chief helmsman looked back at Icheb and sighed. Sitting down again, he said, "Look Icheb, I know you're curious about this. I can't explain it. Like I said, I really don't want to know. I'm sure it was one of those temporal paradox things. The captain always says they give her a headache. It's the only answer that fits the facts, though. If you spend too much time thinking about this, you'll get a headache, too."

"What facts? Temporal Paradox? No one's talking about anything like that."

"I'm surprised no one is. Maybe it hasn't occurred to most of the crew, but I'm pretty sure the entire senior staff suspects it."

"Why?"

"Icheb, did you hear that as _soon_ as the captain gave Kes permission to come on board _Voyager_ , she immediately took steps to minimize any problems from a collision by shutting down the warp core, increasing our structural integrity fields and shielding in the area to maximum, and evacuating everyone from those decks? Including B'Elanna? It's like the captain knew there was going to be a crash in that exact place."

Icheb reviewed his Borg memories, which contained information about temporal mechanics, including some incursions into the past made by the Borg which hadn't ended well. "You mean time travel was involved?"

"That's my guess. We've had more of that happen on _Voyager_ than just about any ship in Starfleet since Captain Kirk's time, as far as I know. Trust me. Forget about it. The captain won't tell you any more about this. The Federation Temporal Police will get after her if she does. I probably shouldn't have shared what I did with you as it is." Tom picked up his tools, stood up, and strode away, back to his repair duties.

Icheb called after him, "Federation Temporal Police?" but Tom didn't even look back.

Icheb thought about this for a few minutes and decided to follow Ensign Paris's advice. Icheb might not be able to forget about this, exactly, but he would try not to think about it too much. If what the captain "always said" was true, it would only lead to a headache.

=/\=


	19. Identity Crisis

=/\=

They had barely finished their repairs to _Voyager_ when the next Pathfinder data transmission was due. One message which came through would have a great impact upon Icheb's life. Lieutenant Reginald Barclay of the Pathfinder Project asked Captain Janeway to send _Voyager's_ EMH program to the Alpha Quadrant in the return datastream. His creator, Dr. Lewis Zimmerman, was said to be dying. Lieutenant Barclay thought the Doctor might have medical knowledge, acquired in the Delta Quadrant, which might save his life.

The Doctor agreed to go. The earliest his program could be returned would be in the next datastream, in thirty days. After he left, the job of Acting Chief Medical Officer was transferred to Ensign Tom Paris. While he readily agreed to this request, Tom was less than pleased. "This means I'll have even less time to spend with B'Elanna! And if we run into any bad guys, I'll have to run to Sickbay instead of flying _Voyager_ out of trouble!"

He moaned even more when Icheb reminded him of something which the EMH had failed to tell him prior to leaving. The Doctor had been the children's Biology instructor.

"Mr. Paris, if you desire, I would be willing to provide lessons to Azan, Rebi, Mezoti, and Naomi. I've already been assisting the Doctor in their current unit of studies in basic genetics and comparative DNA analysis. As long as you could obtain the necessary clearance from the captain and Seven of Nine . . ."

"In exchange for a little extra credit?"

"It would permit me to spend more time with my own research in genetic manipulation, of course . . . but in addition . . ."

Tom smiled knowingly. ". . . what else is it going to cost me?"

Icheb hesitated a minute, then said firmly, "Individual lessons in flying evasive maneuvers in the _Delta Flyer_."

"Consider it done."

=/\=

It was a homework assignment, and not one that was particularly complicated. Mezoti and Rebi were to work together, decrypting biological information from data nodes salvaged from their Borg cube, as well as anything decipherable from a couple of nodes recovered from a Borg debris field. They were to record their findings in Borg Alphanumberics and then translate the Borg script into Federation Standard. Azan and Naomi were working on comparing the DNA strands they'd obtained from various members of the crew. Icheb told them they must collect at least one sample from each of the species represented on _Voyager_.

Neelix cheerfully provided his to his goddaughter, since he was the only Talaxian on board. Lieutenant Torres, as a hybrid, was high on Naomi's list of subjects for the genetic survey. "Happy to do it," she'd said, when Naomi and Azan went to see her in engineering. Ensign Vorik, however, asked so many questions about the process, Naomi seriously considered going to Commander Tuvok, who was in command of _Voyager_ that evening, to ask him if he'd provide the sample for a Vulcan male. When she mentioned this to Vorik, he decided he'd interviewed the students sufficiently and consented to rub a swab the inside of his cheek for their study.

"He finally remembered he needs to stay on the good side of Lieutenant Torres and Commander Tuvok, in case Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay decide to give out promotions someday," Naomi explained sagely to Azan, who wasn't at all interested in ship's politics. He just wanted to finish their project as quickly as possible so he and Rebi could go on a holodeck adventure they'd planned.

Naomi made sure they took samples of all of the children on board. No one had yet learned the species of Azan, Rebi, or baby Aimee. When Naomi asked Rebi for his, he answered, "If you take Azan's sample, you've taken mine, too. We're twins."

"Which we'll prove by comparing your DNA with your brother's. The Delaney sisters were _very happy_ to give us theirs."

The fact that the beauteous Delaney sisters had cooperated tipped the scales, and Rebi and Azan both agreed to provide the necessary sample for the completion of this "extra credit" project. The glamorous ensigns from Stellar Cartography were now far more captivating to both boys than their "sister's" friend Naomi. Now they could bring up the DNA sample study in a conversation with Megan and Jenny - if they ever got up the nerve to actually speak to them when they encountered them in a corridor or the mess hall.

With their data nodes and their PADDs containing readouts of genetic samples spread out on the table before them, the four youngsters were hard at work when Ensign Paris and Lieutenant Torres swept into the mess hall for a "bedtime snack." The officers were in very good moods, Mezoti noted, attributing this to the fact that despite their heavy workloads, both were free from duty until Alpha shift in the morning. Mezoti's inquiries into the nature of single-cell reproduction were far more rudimentary than Icheb's, but she'd learned enough to suspect that once they'd consumed their snacks, the engineer and the pilot/Acting Chief Medical Officer would disappear into the quarters of one of them for the rest of the evening.

Neelix had prepared a new dish, Lizonberry Pie, which he'd assured Seven and Samantha Wildman was as nourishing as it was sweet. After a taste test, both approved of the "little pick-me-up" Neelix wanted to offer the children while they worked. Sam and Seven both were on duty this Beta shift: Sam in charge of Sickbay, while Seven was at her customary station in Astrometrics. Mortimer Harren had invited Icheb to visit him that evening to discuss Harren's pet theories about the Big Bang. The engineer thought Icheb might possess pertinent data the Collective had obtained from alien scientists through assimilation. Icheb consented because he was curious to see Harren's infamous "hideout" on Deck 15.

After serving Tom and B'Elanna servings of the pie, Neelix returned to his galley to finish cleaning up for the night. Except for an occasional comment from one or the other of the occupied tables, all was peaceful until Naomi said, "This is interesting, isn't it, Azan?"

"It seems unremarkable."

"No, look. See how regular the strand is?"

Azan studied the PADD she had pushed close to the front of his face. "Yes, I see. That is why it is unremarkable."

"Don't you remember what Icheb said about that? About how genetically engineered DNA is usually 'cleaned up' to get rid of any variables that might cause an unexpected result?"

Azan studied the PADD a little more closely. When the Norcadi girl asked to see the PADD, Azan passed it to Mezoti and Rebi. "This does look like the genetically engineered sample Icheb showed us," Mezoti agreed.

"Maybe that's why he gave it to you. To test you," Tom said, approaching the children's table with his empty utensils in his hands.

"But this isn't something Icheb gave us, Doctor Tom," Naomi said, ignoring Tom's wince. "He told us to take samples from the crew and analyze them on our own. We're supposed to show how Bajoran DNA looks different from Talaxian DNA, and all. I took a dozen samples to work on, including yours, Lieutenant Torres, and my own sample. See? The two of us have the same sort of super-neat DNA spiral, because hybrids have to be genetically engineered so that they aren't sterile."

"Okay. Which one of us does this one belong to?" B'Elanna asked, looking over Tom's shoulder at the PADD.

"It doesn't belong to either of us, Lieutenant Torres. That's Aimee's sample."

Tom touched the PADD lightly to advanced it to examine more of the spiral. "You're right, Naomi. This DNA strand does look a little too perfect to be naturally occurring."

"If Aimee is a hybrid, could that explain why no one has been able to figure out what race she is?" Neelix inquired.

"It sure could," Tom answered.

Mezoti picked up the PADD she had been working on with Rebi and punched instructions into it, scrolling down to a certain spot. "Part of this data node we've already decrypted contains records of several recent assimilations. There was a ship containing a group of Norcadi, bound for the next sector. My family must have been aboard that vessel. We were all assimilated," Mezoti explained this matter-of-factly, not noticing the perturbed looks the adults exchanged at this chilling proof that Mezoti was an orphan. "Here is the record of Icheb's assimilation. Shortly before Icheb was taken, the Borg cube encountered a small vessel with only two people aboard, a male and female of different races."

Naomi and Azan peered carefully at the data which Mezoti had translated from Borg alphanumerics, then gave the PADD to Tom. He compared the information in the two PADD's, then handed both over to B'Elanna to study. Neelix looked over B'Elanna's shoulder and read them when she did.

"We need to show this to Seven and Icheb, don't we, Doctor Tom?" Naomi said excitedly. "Now we'll be able to solve the mystery of where Aimee comes from!"

"Maybe. As soon as we can confirm it, we'll need to inform the captain," Tom said, exchanging a quick, solemn look with B'Elanna and Neelix.

"Maybe we still won't know which species either of them is," B'Elanna said.

"Maybe," Tom said reluctantly.

Mezoti perceived an odd, fluttery sensation in her abdomen. The only time she could recall feeling this way before was when Seven was administering Punishment Protocol Five: Severe Chastisement, after Mezoti had helped Mr. Kim alter Commander Tuvok's "Temple of T'Panit" program. She couldn't quite understand why she should feel this way now. She certainly wasn't being disrespectful of anyone's cultural traditions tonight. Naomi and Azan weren't, either, but for some reason, the adults didn't seem pleased by this discovery. Hadn't the captain made it clear that finding their families was an important mission for _Voyager's_ crew?

Of course, Icheb's family and home planet _had_ been found, and it hadn't gone well. Not well at all. Perhaps Aimee's family would be happier to get her back than Icheb's evil parents were. If they didn't treat Aimee right, the captain would just have to go back and rescue her from them, just the way she did for Icheb.

=/\=

When Icheb walked into Cargo Bay 2, now also known as "Borg Central," according to Tom, Naomi was still visiting with Mezoti and the twins. Neelix had agreed to supervise all the children until Icheb returned from Mortimer Harren's cosmology interrogation. As Naomi's godfather, Neelix always took charge of her when Sam was on duty or away on a mission.

Icheb found Neelix to be cheerful most of the time. Too cheerful at times for some, like Commander Tuvok, but tonight he looked a little like what Tom would call "down at the mouth," even though Naomi seemed to be extremely excited by something.

She asked Icheb if she could turn in her "preliminary findings" from the DNA project right away. Since he was tired and wanted to regenerate, Icheb was tempted to put her off, but several comments from Azan and Mezoti made him decide to give her a "brief minute of time" to summarize her findings.

After Naomi uttered her first sentence, "We discovered Aimee is a hybrid, and her parents were assimilated on the Borg cube where we found all of you!" Icheb immediately understood why Neelix looked so unhappy. This news promised to be even more devastating to someone else on _Voyager_ : Crewman Marla Gilmore, Aimee's foster mother, unless the species of those two parents and/or the locations of their home planets remained elusive.

He exchanged glances with Neelix. No, the Talaxian didn't think that likely, either.

=/\=

Tom looked very tired when he met with Icheb in the mess hall very early the next morning, before Alpha shift was to begin. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me today, Tom. I know it's very early."

"Not a problem," Tom said, yawning as he grabbed a cup of coffee from the replicator. "I had some things to check on at the helm before I head over to Sickbay for my shift. What's up?"

"I know you checked Naomi's discovery over. You believe she's a hybrid, too."

"You mean Naomi and Azan's discovery, don't you?"

"I don't think Azan would ever have noticed it without Naomi pointing it out to him. He is not the most . . . diligent student, I've found."

Tom smiled before taking another sip from his coffee mug.

"I can't argue with you about that. And Rebi seems to be _just_ as committed to his studies," Tom remarked, with mock sincerity.

Icheb rolled his eyes, a habit he'd picked up from Tom and B'Elanna now that he was learning how to interpret sarcastic comments. "Exactly. I will have to tell the captain they contributed to the findings, but once Naomi and Mezoti understand what this really means, they'll need - what do you call it? Misery for their company?"

"Misery loves company. Yeah, I think you're right. They'll still feel bad, but at least all the credit or blame won't fall only on Naomi and Mezoti. I gather you've confirmed her determination about Aimee's parents was also accurate?"

"Yes. Mezoti translated the data accurately. I compared Aimee's DNA strands to the ones recorded in the data node. They were her parents. I know I have to tell the captain about this, and that's going to be bad enough. It's going to make Marla very upset, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I'm sure."

"Should I be the one to tell Marla about it?"

"No, Icheb. This is the sort of thing that Captain Janeway handles." Tom sighed. "It won't be a fun meeting when you tell the captain, either, but it is what it is. She's told everyone she wants to find families for all of you. I think your situation is set now, but she'll do what she can to find Aimee's people. Azan and Rebi's, too." Tom didn't mention Mezoti's name; he didn't have to. Everyone on _Voyager_ knew the Norcadi government still hadn't responded to multiple requests for help finding relatives, or even a willing foster family, for Mezoti.

"If only I hadn't given Naomi and Azan that assignment, maybe we never would have realized she was a hybrid! Now Marla may have to give Aimee up to strangers. That would be so hard on Aimee, too. Marla's the only mother she's ever known. I feel so guilty."

"You didn't do it deliberately to hurt them, Icheb. The Doc and I might have noticed that she had blended DNA eventually. Actually, we should have discovered it as soon as she came on board. It's easy to see her DNA was engineered, now that Naomi's pointed it out. Come on, Icheb. We'll go to the captain and let her know what the kids discovered. She'll send out the data on Aimee and ask that anyone who knows anything to please contact us. Maybe we'll get lucky, and we're already so far away from where the parents came from, no one will get back to us."

"Did you say, 'We'll let the captain know?"

"Unfortunately, this is something that falls under the duties of the Chief Medical Officer, which this month happens to be me. Might as well get it over with, Mr. Icheb."

"Yes, Mr. Paris," Icheb replied. He felt a little bit better now, but not much. He doubted the "butterflies" in his stomach would go away unless Aimee's people turned out to be like the Norcadi, who obviously never planned to ask Captain Janeway to return Mezoti to them.

=/\=


	20. Musings

=/\=

A couple of days after Captain Janeway sent out subspace messages requesting information about Aimee's parents' species, the location of Aimee's mother's people was identified. Aimee had a grandmother, the manager of the small space station controlling traffic in and out of Bardarean Sovereignty space. After one of the grandmother's coworkers on the station rudely told them to leave the system because the image of Aimee was an "abomination," the grandmother asked the captain if she could come on board to see the baby. The entire crew of _Voyager_ , but in particular, Marla Gilmore and Naomi Wildman, were in despair at the news. Marla packed up little Aimee's things and prepared to hand the baby over to her grandmother, so she could be raised by her mother's people.

When the grandmother Lehthea arrived, she confirmed that her coworker's response to Aimee was typical of her people. They distrusted all aliens and avoided contact with outsiders as much as possible. Little Aimee's father's people the Shellisti were even worse. That was why her daughter had run away when she'd fallen in love with Aimee's father, whom she'd met on the Bardarean station. The couple knew they would never be able to find happiness on either planet. Now, seeing her granddaughter, Lehthea mourned they had had to leave and, by doing so, lost their lives. Sorrowfully, Lehthea asked Captain Janeway to find a family that would love the baby and keep her safe, which Lehthea feared she would be unable to do on Bardarea.

Needless to say, an eager volunteer was close at hand. Marla's despair turned to joy. Not only was she going to be able to keep her daughter, she would be able to make Aimee her own through adoption, once _Voyager_ returned to the Alpha Quadrant. Lehthea also provided medical information for the EMH to use when he returned from his month-long away mission, as well as cultural information Marla could share with her baby. Once she was old enough to understand, Aimee would be able to learn about her deceased parents' peoples.

Not everyone's despair turned to joy, however. Mezoti witnessed a sorrowful scene in the transporter room when Lehthea said good-bye to her granddaughter, before transporting to her small ship - alone. This would almost certainly be the final time the grandmother would ever see Aimee. Lehthea was returning to her home world, here in the Delta Quadrant. Every day _Voyager_ traveled towards the Alpha Quadrant, Aimee would be that much farther away from Lehthea.

Seeing that last good-bye made a lasting impression on Mezoti. She observed that while every family wasn't as evil as Icheb's, even when they were nice, a happy ending wasn't always possible.

By this time, Mezoti was fully aware her Norcadi people wanted nothing to do with an ex-Borg child like her. The information she'd obtained from the data node confirmed that Mezoti no longer had biological parents waiting for her anywhere in the galaxy.

Icheb expected to remain on _Voyager_ during its entire journey home to the Federation, where he would almost surely be the only Brunali living in the Alpha Quadrant. Although Marla would love her, Aimee would be the only person in the quadrant with a Bardarean/Shellisti heritage. Mezoti had to decide if, like them, she wished to be the only one of her species residing in that entire region of the galaxy.

Once, when Icheb had been convinced to stay with his parents on Brunal, expecting to spend a lifetime with them there, Mezoti told Seven she never wanted to leave _Voyager_. Mezoti could no longer say for certain she still felt the same way.

=/\=

"Find anything, Seven?"

"Not yet, Ensign Paris. Rest assured we will continue searching," Seven answered, not without sympathy.

"You can see we're all looking. Mezoti has volunteered to help us with our scans when she is not in formal lessons with her instructors," Icheb pointed out.

Mezoti smiled up at Mr. Paris with what she hoped was a smile of encouragement. Icheb had informed her that some of her smiles were more like grimaces, as if smiling was a bit painful for her. At times like these, Mezoti thought it _was_ painful to smile. Ensign Paris had become more and more excitable, the longer the _Delta Flyer_ failed to check in with the ship as standard operating procedures demanded. Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres had been on the missing shuttle, along with their mutual best friend Ensign Harry Kim. When the captain had gone missing a short while ago with Crewmen Tal Celes, Mortimer Harren, and William Telfer, everyone had been concerned, but on that occasion, the shuttle was found only hours after a detailed search was initiated. More than a week had gone by since word had been received from the _Delta Flyer_.

After Mr. Paris left, Mezoti asked Seven, "Why did he come here? He could have asked us through his communicator."

"It was not even necessary for him to do that. We would have sent word to Commander Tuvok if we'd found any evidence of their presence. He came because of his emotional response to the situation. He is very attached to both of our missing officers."

"To Lieutenant Torres in particular," Icheb said.

"She is his girlfriend. I know that," Mezoti said impatiently. "Everybody does."

"Mezoti, if you are losing interest in assisting us with the search, you may leave Astrometrics," Seven advised.

Mezoti turned back to her station and reset the search parameters to focus on a different area of space.

A few days later, Commander Chakotay contacted Astrometrics. _:::We've received word from an alien transport vessel. Ten days ago they received a distress call from B'Elanna. She was heading the Flyer towards an L-class planet on thrusters after losing primary propulsion. Concentrate your search on systems containing that class of planets . . . or satellites. Her message was garbled, so we should pursue any possible landing sites with L-class conditions.:::_

"We will comply."

Before Seven had broken contact with the commander, Icheb was showing Mezoti how to reset her station to limit her search to L-class planetary objects.

They all worked diligently for as many hours as they could before the need to regenerate interrupted them. Commander Tuvok reportedly had been working around the clock for almost two weeks, reviewing the sensor logs, searching for the _Delta Flyer's_ ion trail. Whenever the former-Borg team identified a planet in a system which the _Flyer_ might have reached on thrusters, the coordinates were reported to the helm, so Ensign Paris could design a flight path for _Voyager_ to take a closer look.

The next night, the team learned of a transmission received by the captain that was very good news. Lieutenant Torres and Ensign Kim were alive. _Voyager_ was on its way to rescue them.

=/\=

"An Eternal, huh? A.K.A. a Goddess?" Tom was smiling ear to ear. His B'Elanna was back, relating her adventures on a planet which was in the Bronze Age stage of development. The _Delta Flyer_ and both members of its away team were safely back on _Voyager._ While the Delta Flyer would need an overhaul to repair damage sustained in the crash, quick visits by Harry and B'Elanna to Sickbay were sufficient to heal any lingering injuries from their sojourn on what B'Elanna insisted they should call "Kelis's Planet," or maybe simply "Kelis."

"That seems to be what an Eternal is. They're immortal, I know that, and they produce comedy and tragedy in the lives of mere mortals with their meddling. I guess that's like gods and goddesses. The theatre reminded me of some of the ancient Terran plays I studied in one of my Academy classes. 'The Iliad and the Odyssey,' one was called, I think."

"Those are epic poems by a blind poet known as Homer," Tuvok corrected. "While at the Academy, I became friendly with one of the literature professors, a Captain Wordsworth. We compared the poetic dramas written by T'Rana, Tachon, and Vrinia, during the earliest known period of literacy in Vulcan history, to classic Greek plays by Euripides, Aeschylus, and Aristophanes. There were many similarities."

"Maybe you've discovered the Euripides of that planet, B'Elanna," Captain Janeway said. 'The Rescue of B'Elanna Torres' may turn up on the reading lists of university students three millennia from now!"

"And you were his muse, B'Elanna. No surprise to me," Tom said, smiling sweetly at his girlfriend. "You inspire me all the time."

"Oh, please!" B'Elanna rolled her eyes at Tom, but with affection. Now that he'd been around the couple often enough to know what to look for, Icheb could see their teasing hid deeper emotions from others.

"It is quite remarkable that seminal societies on separate planets would develop methods of conveying ideas to their compatriots through entertainment media constructed in so similar a fashion," Tuvok continued. "And since the populace appears aware their 'Winter's Tears' possess unique and special properties, it also suggests they could develop spaceflight, even warp drive, far in the future."

"If their warlords don't kill them all off first," Icheb observed.

After that sobering remark, the Delaney sisters changed the subject to the costumes worn by the members of Kelis's troupe of players. Seven and Icheb trooped out of the mess hall lounge area, along most of the male members of the crew which had gathered to listen to a recitation of Harry and B'Elanna's adventures. The female members, with Mezoti hanging onto every word from her seat next to Tom, remained to discuss fashion design. Tom didn't appear to care what they were discussing, as long as his B'Elanna was safe and sitting right next to him.

=/\=


	21. Ghostly Story

=/\=

"Yes, Mom. I'm coming," Naomi said to her mother through the comm system. Turning to her friends in "Borg Central," she waved at the twins, who were playing Kadis-kot, "I've gotta go home to my quarters, now. I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast, Mezoti. Remember, we have our Botany class with Mr. Lessing at 0900. See you, Icheb. Bye now"

Once the Cargo Bay Two doors slid shut after her, Icheb reminded everyone, "It is almost time for our regeneration cycles to begin. How close are you to finishing your game, Rebi?"

"I will beat Azan in five minutes, Icheb," Rebi replied confidently.

"No, I'll beat you in four minutes," Azan declared.

"Whether you're finished or not, clean up the game in five minutes," Icheb said, making his voice sound as commanding as possible. Mezoti gazed wide-eyed at him. Icheb looked down his nose at her, and she crimped her lips to keep from smiling. "You should prepare for regeneration, too, Mezoti."

"Naomi and I have already cleaned up after our game," she responded, her eyebrow upraised in imitation of a typical Seven of Nine expression as she pointed to Mr. Paris's _durotta_ game, already neatly enclosed within its box. "I'm waiting for the rest of _you_ to be ready to enter our alcoves."

Icheb suppressed a smile of his own. Mr. Paris had described _durotta_ to Icheb as a "game of subtlety," but Naomi and Mezoti managed to play it without much difficulty. Turning to the computer terminal he had been using, he initiated the console's shutdown procedure. For the past few days he'd been researching a particular subject as often as he had the time.

Mezoti peeked over Icheb's shoulder at the screen just before it turned dark. "Starfleet Academy entrance requirements," she read. "Icheb, are you thinking about joining? You don't have to do that to work in Astrometrics. Seven hasn't enlisted in Starfleet. Neelix hasn't, either."

"I am aware it is not required. However, I must choose a career if I am to live in the Federation. I've been thinking I'd really like to become a starship officer."

"Ensign Kim told me it may take over thirty years for _Voyager_ to complete its journey to Earth. Won't you be too old to go to the Academy by then?"

"That's why I've been reading the entrance requirements. Not every officer studies at the campus in San Francisco. There would never be room for all of the students to attend if there was only one site. They have what they call 'Satellite Campuses' on other planets. And they also offer courses through their 'Distant Learner Program.' If a student can find a qualified instructor, this is another way to earn credits towards graduation. They call this 'Another Avenue to Success.' I am certainly 'distant' out here in the Delta Quadrant."

"Where would you find an instructor?"

"Commander Tuvok. He once taught at Starfleet Academy on Earth, remember? He mentioned it when Lieutenant Torres was telling us about the theater troupe on Kelis's planet."

"I remember now. Do you think he would be willing to teach you? As the Head of Tactical and Chief Security Officer, he's already very busy, isn't he?"

"That's true, but he's found the time to teach meditation to many of _Voyager's_ crew. Tom told me B'Elanna used to study with him, but not so much now. Neelix's ex-girlfriend Kes also took training in mental disciplines with him while she was living on _Voyager_. Neelix told me about it when I asked him what Kes was like."

"He would be a good teacher. He's very thorough when he explains something. And he's very logical," Mezoti observed.

"Vulcans pride themselves on their logic," Icheb agreed. Grinning slyly at Mezoti, he added, "Of course, Tuvok would never admit he was proud of how logical he is. Which is illogical, when you think about it."

Mezoti smiled back and said, "Agreed."

"Azan, Rebi, aren't you finished with that yet?" Icheb said, at an even greater volume than he had the first time he asked them about the game's status.

"In another minute," the twins said in tandem.

Icheb shook his head and smiled ruefully at his companion. "Let's move towards our cubicles so we are ready to step back if Seven comes in to 'tuck us in,' as Neelix puts it." As the two walked slowly up the platform to the Borg regeneration units, Icheb asked Mezoti, "Have you thought about enlisting in Starfleet when you're old enough?"

"I don't know. I'm not even nine years old yet. I believe I have time before I have to decide."

"True. Maybe you should consider it, though. You could enter the Sciences track, since you like to study insects. You'd be an excellent xenobiologist."

Mezoti didn't answer him right away. Icheb realized he might be pushing her a little bit, since she really was very young to think about a future career. He knew Naomi was already firmly decided upon becoming an officer when she grew up, however. Even though she was much younger than Mezoti in age, her rate of development was much faster. Of course, both of Naomi's parents were in Starfleet, and she wanted to "follow in their footsteps." Thanks to the Borg's assimilation of her parents, Mezoti knew more about the specifics of the Norcadi star system than she did about what career paths they might have followed.

He was about to say they could discuss it another day when Seven blew briskly into the cargo bay, the way she usually did. "Children! You should have already begun your regeneration cycles! It's late. Icheb . . . "

Mezoti piped up, "I was asking Icheb about something important, Seven. _We_ are both ready to regenerate." Mezoti stared at Azan and Rebi, who were scrambling to put away the Kadis-kot game pieces, in order to direct Seven's attention towards the twins, rather than at Icheb.

Seven lifted her eyebrow at the young Brunali, acknowledging she was as fully aware of Mezoti's true tactics as Icheb was; but she hurried Azan and Rebi up the platform to their cubicles and said nothing more than her usual "Good night. Sweet dreams," as she "tucked them in" for the night's regeneration cycle.

=/\=

The children woke up to the sound of _Voyager's_ computer voice announcing, "Regeneration cycle incomplete," as their cubicles began to flicker and power down. In seconds, their cargo bay was absolutely dark. Icheb looked around him. Even the tiny emergency lights by the door, which stayed lit to enable the crew to orient themselves when the lights were shut off, were not visible. Icheb could hear Mezoti and the twins rustling in their cubicles. He imagined they must be as disturbed as he was by this turn of events.

Suddenly a light bloomed on the floor near one of the control panels. It was a battery powered portable unit. Neelix was standing by it in such a way that his face was highlighted in some parts, but was shaded in others. The effect was rather unnerving, reminding Icheb of images formed in his mind when Naomi shared one of the ghost stories Neelix had told her when she was "just a little kid."

Icheb was relieved when Neelix finally said, "Everything's all right. We've just had to shut down main power temporarily. Nothing to be concerned about."

When they questioned Neelix about the reason for the power shutdown, Neelix became a little flustered. "We've entered a Class-J nebula. The Captain wants to make sure that we don't attract any, uh, residual E.M. radiation."

"Our shields provide sufficient protection against nebula discharge," Icheb observed.

"Is that so? Well, I'm afraid that gaseous anomalies were never really my specialty. Come on, gather round. I brought toys and stories and games and I thought that later we might even have a sing-a-long. Like we were on a camping trip."

Icheb offered to go to Astrometrics to help Seven, but Neelix informed him Astrometrics was also shut down. Mezoti asked why _Voyager_ had entered the nebula if the crew wasn't going to analyze it. Neelix put her off by saying it was a very "long and dull story." When Mezoti became concerned that _Voyager_ might be in danger, Neelix said she shouldn't "leap to those kinds of conclusions."

Icheb noticed Neelix never actually said they were safe, an ominous omission. "Maybe if you explained what's happening in more detail," Icheb noted, "we wouldn't have to guess."

"This has something to do with Deck 12, doesn't it?" Mezoti asked.

"Why, what makes you say that?" Neelix replied.

Icheb noticed he didn't deny this, either. "Deck 12, section 42 is off limits to everyone but senior officers with a level-six security clearance."

"That's because it's haunted, isn't it?" Mezoti said calmly.

The Talaxian jumped back and asked Mezoti, "Who told you that?"

"Naomi, of course."

"I'll have to have a talk with that girl," Neelix muttered to himself, before insisting there were no such things as ghosts. When all the children pressed him for a better explanation, he finally said, "All right. Gather round. But I'm warning you - this is not a tale for the faint of heart."

"We're not faint of heart," Mezoti said.

"Our cardiopulmonary systems are reinforced," Icheb observed.

Mezoti added, "So don't leave anything out."

Neelix sighed, "All right, but remember - I warned you . . . It all began several months ago, before you joined _Voyager_. We were exploring a dark nebula, just gathering deuterium. We had no idea what was in store for us. But, when the turbulence started getting rough, we should have seen that as an omen . . ."

=/\=

The crew was collecting particles to fuel the ship when the nebula began to destabilize. Captain Janeway ordered Mr. Paris to take the ship out, but then the ship began to shake. "We'd taken some minor damage," Neelix informed them, "but for the most part, everything was fine. Or so we thought. What none of us knew was that a mysterious stowaway had come aboard _Voyager_."

"What kind of stowaway?" asked Mezoti.

Icheb answered, "It was obviously a space-dwelling life form."

"Yes, but we didn't know that, not at that point," Neelix said.

All the children began to make wild guesses about the nature of this stowaway. "Was it non-corporeal?"

"Hostile?"

"Species 5973?"

". . . an inter-phasic species?"

"We can either debate comparative xenobiology or I can continue on with the story. It's up to you," Neelix said in exasperation. After the children agreed to hold their questions for later, the Talaxian said, "Now, where was I? Oh! . . . life aboard _Voyager_ would have been more or less back to normal if it weren't for a few strange malfunctions . . ."

Transporter Room One was out of commission. Gravity was temporarily lost on Deck 5. Doors opened and shut without instructions. Many of the sonic showers went off-line. And because the replicators began to act up, the captain couldn't get a decent cup of coffee. Icheb imagined the captain was _very_ irritated by that. Those were all minor annoyances, however. When false readings from the navigational array caused _Voyager_ to travel in circles, and the communication system had to be shut down because it was functioning erratically, the situation became more serious.

Commander Chakotay tried to get to Engineering to speak with Lieutenant Torres about the problems, but, "the turbo-lift plunged eleven decks at high speed. It fell faster and faster! The G-Forces pinned Commander Chakotay to the ceiling! He knew that at any minute he was going to come crashing down to the bottom of the turbolift, and there was nothing he could do about it!"

The children were leaning forward, totally involved with Neelix's story, and then he asked, in a conversational tone of voice, "Is anybody hungry? You haven't touched your snacks."

Mezoti cried out, "Neelix! Snacks are irrelevant! Continue the story!"

"What happened to Commander Chakotay?" Icheb demanded to know.

"Oh, then the descent stabilizers reactivated."

To sighs of relief, Neelix added, "The way B'Elanna tells it, Commander Chakotay was not very happy when he showed up in engineering that morning." After running a diagnostic, the commander and the lieutenant went to Deck 13, where they thought the problem was with burned-out gelpacks. Once they arrived, they saw the gelpacks were fine, but now they diagnosed problems with the environmental system around Cargo Bay Two, where Seven was running diagnostics. Because the comm system was down, no one could warn her of any potential problems. Seven was concentrating on her work, and she didn't immediately notice nebular gasses seeping inside the cargo bay. Once Seven did see them and tried to leave, the doors wouldn't open, and she collapsed from lack of oxygen. She never realized an entity was in the room with her. When she was down on the floor, it floated over to her.

"The entity must have infiltrated her cybernetic systems and turned her against the rest of the crew," Mezoti suggested, resulting in a cry of outrage from Neelix.

"It most certainly did not! You're letting your imagination run away with you!" Just then, the portable light went out. To the children's cries of dismay, Neelix reassured them. "It's all right. I just have to replace the power cell. Nothing to be frightened about."

Once Neelix got the light working again, his face appeared suddenly out of the darkness, highlighted in such an eerie way that the younger three screamed a little. While Icheb tried to stay calm, he had to admit he felt like he was _inside_ one of Naomi's ghost stories, not just listening as Neelix related one.

Neelix apologized to his listeners. "Now, where were we. Oh, yes. Seven was trapped, but fortunately for her, help was on the way . . ."

The commander and chief engineer rescued Seven, but strange things continued to occur. _Voyager_ was hanging dead in space, with system after system failing. Ensign Paris was seriously injured by an E.M. surge at his helm station, and then the bridge began to vent out all its breathable air. The captain ordered everyone to exit immediately. Right after the bridge crew managed to get Ensign Paris to Sickbay, the Doctor's matrix began to destabilize. They just managed to transfer him into his mobile emitter just in time.

When they began to compare all the incidents that were happening all over the ship, the captain and commander realized they might be dealing with a life-form, electromagnetic in nature. However, with so many of the ship's systems no longer under their control, for safety's sake, the captain asked the crew to retreat to Main Engineering, where a secure area could be established.

This was a problem for some who had been out of touch with the rest of the crew for a while, because of the comm system failure. Ensign Kim was punched in the stomach by Crewman Tal Celes when they met up in the dark; she was afraid he was an alien invader coming to take over _Voyager_. As for Neelix himself, "I still had no idea what was going on. I'd been waiting in the mess hall for more than four hours in the dark, cut off from the rest of the crew." Lieutenant Commander Tuvok had to crawl through Jefferies tubes to get to the mess hall, to explain to Neelix what had happened.

"Were you scared?" Mezoti asked Neelix.

"Well, considering that engineering was eight decks down and the only way to get there was to crawl through pitch-black Jefferies tubes . . . It's fair to say that I was never more frightened in my life."

Icheb said, "You shouldn't have allowed yourself to be afraid. Fear distracts people from accomplishing their goals."

"Well, that's true, I suppose. On the other hand, fear can sometimes be very healthy! It keeps you alert, keeps you from putting yourself in danger . . ."

"I was scared once," Mezoti offered.

"You've been afraid many times," Icheb said, teasingly.

"Icheb!" Neelix reproved, before encouraging Mezoti to tell him about it.

"It was when we were first disconnected from the hive mind, before Seven rescued us. I couldn't hear anyone else's thoughts anymore. I felt . . . alone."

Hearing that, Icheb felt badly about joking with her. He couldn't remember that time as well as Mezoti did, but then, she had always been more in tune with the hive mind than any of the others. It had been upsetting for Icheb, too. He must still have been in his maturation chamber when that happened.

Neelix said gently to Mezoti, "When you're scared, it helps to have someone to talk to, doesn't it? Of course, in my case, the only person I had to talk to was Commander Tuvok. As you've probably noticed, he's not exactly what you call chatty . . ."

Because of this, Neelix's imagination began to run away with _him_. He started talking to Tuvok about a Talaxian freighter, the _Salvoxia_ , which drifted for eighty years with its dead crew inside before anyone found them.

"I wonder what the crew of the _Salvoxia_ did for food after their emergency rations were gone?" Icheb mused.

"Maybe they _ate_ each other," Mezoti rudely suggested.

"All right! That's enough! I shouldn't have told you that story. It's too gruesome. Now, where was I? . . . " Neelix described how the two of them encountered a trap that was a lot like the one in which Seven had almost been smothered. When Tuvok was injured, Neelix was able to help the commander get to main engineering, overcoming his own fears in the process.

By this time, the main computer system had been infiltrated by the life-form. When it started to state _:::Captain Janeway, report to Astrometrics:::_ the captain realized the entity was trying to communicate with her. It simply wanted to go home to its nebula, and Captain Janeway was perfectly willing to bring it there.

There was just one problem. When _Voyager_ destabilized the nebula, it had dissipated. The creature's J-nebula home no longer existed, and the entity became angry. It ordered an evacuation so the gaseous anomaly could possess the ship, and any entity capable of turning off the environmental control systems has the power to force the issue. Captain Janeway explained that without the ship's crew, every system would eventually fail, stranding the entity in an empty ship, but it didn't seem to believe her. The entire crew entered the shuttles and the escape pods to abandon ship while the entity ran the diagnostic the captain had suggested it run. The entire crew exited the ship in escape pods or on shuttles - all, except for Captain Janeway. Once the entity realized the captain was telling the truth, it prevented her from leaving.

The life form tried to force Captain Janeway to cooperate by erecting force fields around her and transferring nebular gases inside to choke her. "It looked like the creature was calling the captain's bluff," Neelix said, but when the captain was willing to die rather than submit to the ultimatum, the entity replaced the nebula gasses with air and restored all systems to the crew's control.

"It took almost two days for the crew to return to the ship," Neelix explained. "Eventually, an artificial environment was created in an isolated section of Deck 12. The creature has been living there ever since."

"I told you there was a monster on Deck 12," Mezoti said to Icheb.

"It's not a monster. It's an alien life form," Icheb replied. Just at that moment, there was a decided bump, which all of them felt. "What was that?"

With an evil gleam in her eye, Mezoti said, "Maybe it's the alien life form coming to get us."

Neelix reproved her again about her imagination getting the better of her, but at that moment the lights came back on. "There," Neelix said. "That little jolt was probably nothing more than our friend leaving the ship, to go to a new home the captain found for her. Time to regenerate." He herded all four into their alcoves.

"What if the life form didn't leave?" Azan asked.

"What if it wants revenge?" worried Rebi.

"What if I told you I made up the whole thing?" Neelix said.

"Naomi says you always exaggerate," Mezoti commented.

"I should have known better than try fooling the four of you. All right. In you go," Neelix said, he hustled them back into their alcoves and their regeneration cycles reinitiated.

"Sweet dreams," he said, as he tiptoed out the door.

=/\=

Over breakfast the next morning, Icheb related Neelix's "ghost story" to Tom Paris. "I knew the story wasn't true the moment he said Bussard collectors produced nadion emissions."

When the helmsman chuckled while sipping his coffee, Icheb was confident he was right.

But then Tom said, "Hate to break it to you, Icheb, but that story Neelix told you - it wasn't made up. The jolt you felt last night was our gaseous entity friend diving out of _Voyager_ and into its new J-nebula home. It took Seven quite a while to find one with just the right mix of gasses so it could live 'happily ever after.' That's what Neelix said when he saw it swimming through the nebula, when he came on the bridge to tell us you were settled down for the night."

"You mean everything Neelix said was true? He told us it was just a story."

"Go down to Deck 12 and check it out, if you don't believe me. B'Elanna's asked me to help her replace a few wall panels in the 'haunted corridor.' Thanks to corrosive elements in our guest's gaseous make-up, some are damaged. I'm going there after I finish my meal. Do you want to come down and help me? I'm sure B'Elanna would welcome an extra pair of hands . . ."

=/\=

 ** _(This section quotes extensively from "The Haunting of Deck 12," Story by Mike Sussman, Teleplay by Mike Sussman, Kenneth Biller, & Bryan Fuller)_**


	22. Unimatrix Zero - 1

=/\=

 _:::Icheb, could you meet me in the mess hall? Sam asked me to bring Naomi home to her quarters and stay with her for a bit.:::_

"I can do that, Neelix. I thought she was on Holodeck 1 with Naomi. They'd pooled their holodeck credits so they could spend most of the afternoon in Fair Haven."

 _:::Well, something's come up, and they were asked to give up their holodeck time today. Nothing major, of course. I took the girls to the mess hall for an early lunch.:::_

"OK. I'll be there as soon as I shut down my lab project."

 _:::I appreciate that, Icheb.:::_

As Icheb turned off the console in the lab attached to Sickbay, where he was working on his experiments in nanovirus genome manipulation, he couldn't help but wonder what was going on. He'd heard Seven enter Sickbay several hours ago to speak with the Doctor about something, but he didn't eavesdrop on their conversation. The last time Seven caught him trying to connect through their cortical nodes and listen in subvocally, without her express permission, she'd reprimanded him severely. The Doctor had also emphasized, when agreeing to oversee Icheb's research project, that he would not be allowed to pursue his studies if he tried to listen in to any of the EMH's verbal communications with the crew, because of physician-patient confidentiality issues. Icheb did not want to do anything that would cause him to lose his access to the lab; it was the perfect place for him to pursue his studies. He could consult with the EMH whenever he had a question about how to proceed, or even if he wished to share anything with the Doctor to get his assessment of a discovery's potential value.

Something _was_ going on, he knew that. He'd felt an undercurrent of urgency this morning when he was on his way to the lab from Cargo Bay 2. Every member of the crew he passed seemed to be in a hurry to get places, and he couldn't think of any reason for it. Of course, Tom Paris had gotten his rank back on the bridge this morning. The entire staff knew about that - except for Tom, of course - and everyone had been eager to go along with the surprise Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay had planned for the occasion. No one wanted to "spill the beans," as Neelix put it when Icheb walked Mezoti and the twins to the holodecks.

He wondered if the twins had also been asked to leave Holodeck 2. If the captain had shut them down, they must have been ordered out. Were they in the mess hall, too? No, they couldn't be. If Azan and Rebi had been there, Neelix would have asked the three former Borg children to walk together to "Borg Central."

Unless something really major was going on. Remembering how Neelix had acted toward the four of them during the power shutdown, when their gaseous entity "guest" from Deck 12 was transferred to his new home, Icheb realized it would be just like Neelix to downplay a crisis.

When Icheb arrived in the mess hall, he saw Azan and Rebi sitting at a corner table, sipping on nutritional supplement shakes. They didn't seem at all concerned about anything other than the games they were playing on their portable gaming cubes. One look at Mezoti and Naomi, however, and Icheb felt a chill go down his spine. Naomi looked extremely anxious, and Icheb didn't think he'd seen Mezoti look this morose since they'd arrived on _Voyager_. The only time he could remember seeing that expression on her face was when they were forced to leave the alien corpse behind in the assimilation room, since First had failed to instruct them on what they were supposed to do with it.

The clincher was the way Neelix was putting on his "nothing's bothering me but actually I'm extremely nervous" act. Icheb had seen it only a few weeks ago when he was telling the "story" that wasn't at all fictional.

"Hi, there, Neelix," Icheb said as casually as he could, trying to quell his own feelings of unease. "Don't you have to stay here and serve lunch to the crew? I can bring Naomi to her quarters, if you want. Or she could stay with us in 'Borg Central.'"

"Oh, the replicators are at full power at the moment, and Chell is coming by to serve the crew's lunch to anyone who's short on rations. Chell understands that sometimes 'Uncle' Neelix needs to take care of his goddaughter when Sam is on duty."

Something was definitely going on, Icheb could really feel it now.

"Okay, then. Should I bring Azan and Rebi to our quarters, too?"

"Of course! I should've told you they were here, too. I don't know what's gotten into me," Neelix chuckled nervously. "I guess I'm getting forgetful in my own age. Oh, and by the way, the captain asked me to tell you that all four of you should report to Astrometrics and stay there for a while instead of going to your cargo bay. She wants to give Seven some privacy while she finishes her . . . regeneration cycle."

"Astrometrics? All four of us?" Icheb raised an eyebrow at this. While Mezoti had spent a fair amount of time in Astrometrics with Icheb and Seven, especially when they'd searched for the lost _Delta Flyer,_ which had Lieutenant Torres and Ensign Kim on board, Azan and Rebi had never spent much time there. They'd never expressed any interest.

"Just for a while. Until Seven wakes up."

"Understood," Icheb said, although he really didn't.

"Icheb?" Naomi interrupted. "I have a question. Mezoti said she didn't know the answer when I asked her before."

"Naomi, why don't you ask your question another time," Neelix said to her. "We really need to get to your quarters . . ."

"Later might be too late." Turning her attention back to Icheb, Naomi asked, "Does it hurt when you're assimilated?"

"Hurt, when you're assimilated? Well, I think maybe it does, but I don't remember it now. So maybe it doesn't hurt _too_ much."

Icheb looked over at Mezoti. Her grey eyes were huge in her face. She'd always told Icheb she didn't remember anything about her life before her assimilation. If that was so, he could believe she didn't remember her assimilation either. But then he realized they both knew more about it than they wished, thanks to that botched assimilation of the alien freighter captain. From the way the man had screamed, he must have been in excruciating pain. Or was that because their nanoprobes hadn't done the job well enough? Would he have screamed that way if they had?

 _/Yes, he would have,/_ Mezoti said to him subvocally. _/I didn't want to scare Naomi by telling her the truth./_

 _/How do you know?/_ Icheb replied.

 _/From the memories of the assimilated we absorbed with our Borg learning. Look into them for yourself./_

Icheb accessed his memories. Yes, it was excruciating. It was a good thing he couldn't remember his own assimilation now. He felt a quick flush of anger when he remembered his parents had sent him to feel that way a second time. He was lucky _Voyager_ came and rescued him before the Borg transported his little ship into that cube's spaceship storage bay.

Neelix was admonishing Naomi about asking such a question to her friends. It all fell into place. " _Voyager_ has encountered the Borg again," Icheb stated flatly.

"Oh, I don't think . . . " Neelix stopped in the middle of a sentence, and Icheb could see the Talaxian debating how much to tell them.

"It's all right, Neelix. We understand better than anyone," Icheb said softly. "It's better we know the truth. Has the Queen contacted Seven? Is that why she's 'regenerating' now?"

"I don't know the particulars, Icheb. Seven is involved somehow, I know that." Neelix paused a moment. " _Voyager_ received a distress call this morning, and when the ship arrived at the source, there was no one to rescue. That's about all I know."

Icheb could fill in the rest. "That's why everyone is in such a hurry today."

Neelix shrugged his shoulders in agreement. Before he could say anything, Naomi said, "You must be the last person to hear about it, Icheb. Everyone else knows. It's a small ship."

"Azan, Rebi," Icheb called out. "It's time to go." Turning to Neelix, he said, "Thanks for taking care of Mezoti, Neelix. We'll go to Astometrics now. If you hear anything more, could you contact me there?"

"I will, Icheb. Stay safe. All of you."

=/\=

Chell hurriedly passed by them in the corridor just outside the mess hall. The usually chatty Bolian gave them a quick nod and turned into the door to relieve Neelix. Naomi came out a few seconds later. "Can you wait here with me for a minute? Neelix has to show Chell what he's made for everybody's lunch."

"Of course," Icheb answered.

The five of them stood together in silence, until Naomi broke it. "You know, when Seven first came aboard, I was very afraid the 'Borg lady' was going to assimilate me. I avoided talking to her for a long time. Then Seven turned into a little girl. She turned into a lot of different people, really, because she was sick; but when she was a little girl, she played games with me. After she got better, she still played Kadis-kot with me. We became friends, and I wasn't afraid of her any more. I was never afraid of any of you. But I'm still afraid of being assimilated."

"I don't want to be assimilated again, either, Naomi," Mezoti said. "I like being an individual. I like being your friend."

"Me, too," Naomi said. For the first time, Icheb saw the two friends smile at each other, and then both smiled up at him. Even Azan and Rebi were nodding their heads in agreement.

"We all want to remain individuals. The captain has successfully fought the Borg before. I'm sure she will protect us," Icheb said, trying to reassure himself as much as the youngsters.

Neelix exited the mess hall towards the end of Icheb's statement. "That's what I like to hear," he said happily. "Positive thoughts, that's the way! All right now, to our 'assigned stations,' everyone." Neelix hustled everyone down the corridor to the turbolifts.

As he walked with the others, Icheb considered his reassuring statement to the other children. Just because the captain had been successful against the Borg in the past, it didn't follow that her luck, and that of _Voyager's_ crew, would continue to hold. But he hoped it would.

=/\=

When the four former Borgs arrived at Astrometrics, they found one of the Delaney twins at the console Seven usually manned when she was on duty. "Hi, kids. Are you in the mood for making some astrometrical observations today?" Megan Delaney said gaily. A little too gaily, Icheb thought; it was the way Neelix had acted when Icheb arrived to pick up Mezoti in the mess hall. He said nothing about this to Ensign Delaney, however, as Megan set up the twins in substations of their own. Mezoti moved to the one she had manned during the search for the _Delta Flyer_. After a quick discussion about how to use the equipment to evaluate the constituent elements of a nebula, Megan gave each of the children the assignment to examine a different nebula in the local region's database.

When she turned to Icheb, he leaned in to her and whispered, "Are you going to ask me to examine elements in a nebula, too?"

She smiled ruefully, "I was planning to, but you could probably give _me_ tips on the best way to do that. You know this equipment better than I do!" She sighed, pausing briefly before saying, in as soft a tone of voice as he had used with her, "Maybe you can help me with the assignment the captain gave me. We're looking for the location of any Borg vessels within this vicinity. Will you help, Icheb?"

"Of course, Ensign Delaney." He moved to the station he often used and fed in the search parameters. He was glad his cardiovascular system was enhanced, because his heart was beating much faster than normal. He forced himself to concentrate on his task. He used to be Borg, but now he wanted to help Captain Janeway beat them once again.

=/\=

"Ensign Delaney," Icheb called out. "I believe I've found what you were looking for."

She hurried over to him and leaned over his shoulder. "Is that it? How far away is it?"

"It's at the edge of our range, but it's a very big . . . one." Icheb looked around. All three of the children were staring at him. The composition of nearby nebulas clearly was no longer of any interest to them. When Megan caught his eye movements, she swung around and saw what he'd seen: three pairs of eyes, focused on the two of them.

She sighed. "Might as well put it up on screen, Icheb. I don't think your cohorts are interested in the assignment I gave them anymore."

"That's because we've already finished them, Ensign Delaney," Mezoti replied. The twins nodded their heads and pointed to the screens on their consoles, which displayed their results.

Icheb transferred the sensor image to the main screen. They were all silent for a short time before Rebi said, "It looks like a Class Four."

"A heavily armed cube," Azan added.

Megan glanced up at Icheb. He nodded to her, and confirmed, "A Class Four tactical cube is a _very_ 'big one.'"

"I'll tag it for Commander Tuvok to look at. He'll let us know if we need to keep looking."

=/\=


	23. Unimatrix Zero - 2

=/\=

Although _Voyager_ wasn't technically on red alert yet, remaining at yellow, it was impossible for Icheb, or any of the children other than little Aimee, to ignore the tension. Perhaps even Aimee was picking up on it a little, because Crewman Gilmore was clearly nervous about the situation. Icheb, Azan, and Rebi had all been told to stay in the Gilmore quarters during their normal regeneration cycle time, while Mezoti was with Naomi and Ensign Wildman. Physical separation did not prevent Mezoti from communicating her worries to Icheb, however.

 _/Seven has been visiting someplace she calls Unimatrix Zero when she is regenerating,/_ Mezoti informed Icheb. _/I don't really understand what it is. She seems to know some of the people she meets there. Especially this one person called Axum. And there's a Klingon warrior there, too, called Korok. They're all drones on their own Borg ships, but when they regenerate, their minds go to this place. They get to be individuals again until their regeneration cycles end. Seven went there for eighteen years when she was still Borg. It's not a dream place, but it's not a real-world place, either./_

 _/Mezoti, Seven is going to be angry with you when she realizes you are eavesdropping on her regeneration cycle!/_

 _/I can't help it, Icheb! I'm trying to block Seven from my thoughts, but hers are bleeding through into my cortical array no matter what I do to try and stop them./_

 _/Is that why you were acting so strange when I went to the mess hall to get you?/_

 _/Yes. Tuvok did some kind of bridging mind meld procedure so the captain could go with Seven into Unimatrix Zero to speak with Axum and the other drones. And the Borg Queen found out about it and sent_ her _drones in to attack the people there. It was very bad, Icheb. I was glad Ensign Delaney gave me that nebula analysis assignment. It kept my mind occupied for a while. But Seven is going in and out of regeneration. That's why I'm having a 'sleepover' with Naomi tonight. We have to stay out of 'Borg Central' so Seven can go there whenever she needs to./_

 _/Yes, that's why they brought the portable regeneration units out of storage for us to use here. What about you, Mezoti? Will you have a chance to regenerate?/_

 _/They brought a unit over for me, too. There were nine drones in Seven's unimatrix, remember? Lieutenant Torres dismantled five of the extra alcoves from our cargo bay. When we came on board, they turned all of them into portable units. One of them was left behind on Brunal, but there are still enough for the four of us./_

 _/I remember now. That's good. When will you regenerate?/_

 _/I will start my cycle when Naomi comes back to her room to go to bed. She's talking with Ensign Wildman now. Her mother is trying to calm her down so she can sleep. Naomi understands a lot about being Borg, even though she never was one. She's very observant. And she's very worried. I don't blame her. I am, too./_

 _/Worrying will not help. Maybe you should start your regeneration cycle now. It may make you feel better./_

When Mezoti stopped sending any messages through their cortical arrays for a couple of minutes, Icheb thought their subvocal communications was over, but then he received, _/Icheb. I'm glad I was Borg because I can send my thoughts to you like this. I'm glad my brain was enhanced by my time in my maturation chamber, because I have a lot of Borg knowledge I can access when I need to. But now that I understand what individuality is, I prefer it. I don't want to be assimilated again./_

 _/I don't, either. The captain won't let it happen./_

 _/But what if the captain gets assimilated? She wanted us to find a Borg vessel because she wants to attack it. I don't know exactly how that will help the Unimatrix Zero drones, but she's going in, with Lieutenant Torres and Lieutenant Commander Tuvok./_

 _/I'm sure the captain has a very good plan. Whatever it is./_

 _/But if it fails, the Queen will make sure everyone on_ Voyager _is assimilated./_

 _/Mezoti, remember Neelix's story about the 'gaseous anomaly.' It was a scary story. This one will end up being another scary story, too. You'll see./_

 _/I hope so, Icheb. I don't want to be re-assimilated. Oh, I'm going to have to stop. Naomi is coming in with her mother to say good night. Ensign Wildman told her to sleep tight. Don't let the bedbugs bite. I never heard of bed bugs before./_

 _/Good night, Mezoti, our Bug Lover. Sleep tight. Sweet dreams about bedbugs, okay?/_

Icheb could almost sense Mezoti sighing. _/I'll try. Good night, Icheb./_

Despite his attempts at reassuring Mezoti, who clearly hadn't been reassured very much, Icheb found he was unable to relax enough to begin his own regeneration cycle. He was glad he'd insisted Azan and Rebi begin their cycles before the start of his subvocal communication with Mezoti. He hoped she hadn't picked up on some very grim thoughts of his own, which he'd worked hard to block from Mezoti.

He could think of a _much_ scarier scenario than the one Neelix shared with them in his "gaseous anomaly" story. If the Borg should manage to assimilate the captain and the rest of the crew of _Voyager_ , they would assimilate Icheb, too. And he still had that pathogen-producing DNA inside his genome, which his parents had introduced into every cell of his being. It was inert now, according to the EMH, but if he were to be re-assimilated, it would become active once again, creating the virus which had killed all the adults on the cube of their "children's collective." The Doctor had admitted to Icheb that despite his "superior intellect and knowledge concerning the manipulation of nanoprobes to induce them to perform functions other than assimilation," the EMH didn't know how to "turn off" that particular function in his genes. In fact, the captain had suggested he shouldn't even try to figure it out.

Icheb himself was the ultimate weapon against the Borg, created by his parents for that one purpose. He knew Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay - all of _Voyager's_ crew - would do anything they could to prevent Icheb from being taken by the Borg again, but if he was taken, his parents' ultimate goal could be realized after all.

If he were assimilated again, along with all of those living on _Voyager_ , his body would again produce the pathogen on a Borg vessel. Maybe the virus would spread through the Central Plexus to other cubes, even to the Queen herself. That was probably his parents' plan; and if Captain Janeway wasn't able to keep Icheb safe, she was allowing it to happen. He'd spoken with Tom Paris about this, when he was trying to come to terms with what his parents had done to him with their gene splicing. While he wouldn't be sent as a "sacrificial lamb to the slaughter," his DNA would be there to attack the Borg if they dared to steal away his individuality again.

And this time, Icheb and the other children might not be protected by maturation chambers. All the adults on _Voyager_ would also have become drones, and they, too, would be affected by that virus when it spread through the Borg vessel.

Everyone Icheb knew on _Voyager_ would die. Because of him.

=/\=

Mezoti was right, of course. Her cortical array's superior ability to perceive the thoughts of the former Borg, including Seven, turned out to be accurate. When the away team left on the Delta Flyer to invade the Borg cube, Commander Chakotay would become _Voyager's_ acting captain. Lieutenant Paris would be acting first officer. Axum and the drones of Unimatrix Zero had developed a nanovirus to mask the interlink of their hideaway, so they would remain hidden from the Queen. Captain Janeway had convinced them it should be modified. Up until now, the Unimatrix Zero drones were unaware of their virtual existence once their regeneration cycle ended. The modified nanovirus would allow them to remember it when they woke up.

When he went to work on his own project in the Sickbay lab the next morning, Icheb found Lieutenant Torres working there with the Doctor. They allowed him to remain so that he could observe the modification process. The resulting nanovirus would be introduced into the Central Plexus of the cube the away team invaded. From there it would spread throughout the Collective as instantaneously as the Queen's orders were shared. Lieutenant Torres told Icheb, "The captain is hoping they form a 'Borg Resistance Group' within the Collective. It might work. At least they'd have a chance to fight back if the Queen finds out who they are and attacks them."

"I don't understand why the Queen can't allow the drones their little taste of individuality, if they don't even remember it when they're not regenerating," the Doctor opined. "What harm can they do if they're unconscious while they're there?"

Icheb answered him. "She can't afford anyone to have any individuality at all. The only one who can have her own mind in the Collective is the Queen herself. I believe that's why we were ordered to terminate ourselves, in the message we didn't know how to decrypt until Seven did it for us. We retained enough of our own individuality to be a threat. She wanted to end that threat by having us destroy ourselves."

"Well, Doctor, there's your answer," Lieutenant Torres replied briskly. "By the way, have you finished that other preparation? The one for the three of us?"

"It's already in the captain's possession."

"Great. I believe we're done here. I'm off to finish the modifications to the _Delta Flyer_ with Tom." Lieutenant Torres stepped away from the console with the transformed nanovirus vial in her hand, but then she turned back to the Doctor. "Keep an eye on Tom for me while I'm gone, OK? You, too, Icheb. I know he likes his little chats with you. It might help get his mind off what's going on if he's busy giving you little hints on living your life."

"If he's serving as Commander Chakotay's second in command while you're gone, I believe he'll be too busy; but I will, if I get the chance."

"That's all I ask, Icheb," Lieutenant Torres said as she turned and walked out of the lab.

The next time Icheb saw her, she would look very different.

=/\=


	24. Unimatrix Zero - 3

=/\=

When _Voyager_ began its attack on the massive tactical cube, the entire ship shook repeatedly each time its shields absorbed one of the Borg's counterattacks. The quaking became ominous once the shields began to fail. Even though all of _Voyager's_ children were in Sickbay, deep within the ship, they could feel the vibrations rattling their bones. Ensign Wildman and Crewman Gilmore had been ordered to remain in Sickbay to supervise the children, and little Aimee wailed softly every time a particularly bad one hit.

When injured crew began to arrive, Marla and the younger children retreated to the Doctor's office. Since Ensign Wildman was Lieutenant Paris's back-up field medic, Naomi had to remain with Mezoti and the twins while her mother worked. The Doctor enlisted Icheb to help with "triage," using a medical tricorder. That freed up the Doctor and Ensign Wildman to treat injuries, with the assistance of Crewman Lessing, who had reported to Sickbay to help out. During his previous posting with Marla on their old ship, he had often been forced to assist their EMH in their Sickbay.

Everyone was relieved when the shaking finally stopped.

"Stage one has been completed," the EMH announced, just as the eighth crewman needing medical care arrived. Fortunately, Lieutenant Chapman was also the last, and, like the other seven, he was not seriously hurt. The Doctor gave final instructions for which treatments to administer, and in what order, to Ensign Wildman and Noah Lessing. Then he shooed everyone out of his office. Icheb was helping Marla usher the children out when he saw the Doctor check on a monitor on his desk. Icheb could see three data lines on the screen, and he heard the EMH mutter, "Stage two is underway."

Icheb was tempted to ask what the Doctor had meant by that when he heard Lieutenant Paris say over the comm, _:::Icheb, please report to engineering. Lieutenant Carey has requested your assistance with repairs.:::_

"I will comply," Icheb replied. As he turned towards the exit, however, Mezoti grabbed his hand.

"Can I come with you? Let me help, too."

Icheb looked at the Doctor, whose attention was fastened intently on the readouts he was viewing on his monitor. He turned around and caught Ensign Wildman's eye. She was second in command in Sickbay at the moment. "Ensign Wildman, is it permissible for Mezoti to accompany me to engineering? I'm sure she can be helpful as a 'go-fer,' if you allow it."

"Sure, Icheb. I'll alert the captain . . . I mean, Commander Chakotay. It looks like we've got everything under control here for now."

"Thank you," Mezoti replied solemnly to Ensign Wildman.

As they left Sickbay, Icheb looked back at the field medic, who was shaking her head as they left. Icheb thought Ensign Wildman's mother's intuition was picking up on just how disturbing this entire experience was for Mezoti. Icheb could tell, too. He didn't need to speak subvocally with her to know; he could see it on Mezoti's face.

=/\=

 _Voyager_ survived two attacks on the Class Four tactical cube. The second was accomplished with the assistance of a Commander Korok, one of the Unimatrix Zero drones who was part of the Borg Resistance movement. The captain's plan worked. While the captain, Commander Tuvok, and Lieutenant Torres had all been assimilated after they transported onto the cube from the _Delta Flyer_ , just before the _Flyer_ was destroyed by Borg weaponry, the "other preparation" Lieutenant Torres had asked about in the lab had also worked - at least, it had worked well on Lieutenant Torres and the captain. Icheb learned it didn't work as well on Commander Tuvok. The Borg Queen had been able to command him to take Captain Janeway prisoner while the away team was on the cube. Lieutenant Torres was still capable of functioning as an individual, though, and the modified nanovirus was delivered into the Central Plexus, despite the Queen's frantic efforts to prevent that from happening.

In the end, the only way to save the drones who visited Unimatrix Zero was to have them all abandon it when the Queen found the means to destroy it. They could remember it now, however, and their links to the Collective and the Queen's orders were broken. The Borg Resistance was happening, too, just as the captain hoped. Commander Korok was able to take over his scout vessel. He used it to divert attention from _Voyager_ long enough for Lieutenant Torres to shut down the shielding around the Central Plexus, which allowed _Voyager_ to transport their Borgified away team out of the cube before the vessel self-destructed. "That was by the Queen's order, I'm sure," Captain Janeway said, from her biobed in Sickbay.

Icheb was glad Mezoti hadn't come along with him when he visited Sickbay that night with Commander Korok. The Doctor had just begun to remove the Borg appliances and implants from the away team's bodies. After the concerns Mezoti had expressed to him about the chance of being re-assimilated, he was sure seeing the captain, Lieutenant Torres, and Commander Tuvok transformed into drones would be extremely upsetting, even if their individual natures were intact. In Tuvok's case, that might not be a totally accurate assessment. While his link with the Queen had been cut, the lieutenant commander was under sedation and would remain so, for an extended period, to permit his brain to recover from his ordeal.

Commander Korok had expressed a desire to meet with Commander Chakotay and the away team before departing the vicinity. He planned to seek out other ships which had been taken over by the Resistance. The Klingon commander conferred with Commander Chakotay to share ideas about how to free more Borg ships from the Queen's control. He also wished to praise Chakotay for the successful execution of the captain's plan. When Commander Chakotay mentioned the five children they had previously freed from the Collective during the meeting, Korok asked to meet all of them - even little Aimee - in the Conference Room.

Aimee's visit was a very short one, since Marla Gilmore said it was her daughter's bedtime. Once the Gilmores were gone, Commander Korok asked Icheb, Mezoti, and the twins in his forceful, very Klingon manner, "Shall I tell you why I wished to meet with you?"

All the children nodded they wanted to hear why. Icheb thought saying "no" to that question was simply not an option.

"You will be an inspiration to every former drone on my cube," Korok said. "By becoming individuals, you have proven it is possible to be free of the Collective and live a life in which you can make your own choices, even after you have been Borg. It is a noble achievement."

A very subdued Seven replied, "It can be done, Korok, but it is not an easy process. None of the children had been totally assimilated, yet they have faced many challenges while learning to function on their own, as individuals."

"Life is a challenge, Annika. Klingons live to overcome challenges. As does your captain, I believe. Am I right in thinking this, Commander Chakotay?"

Although Commander Chakotay's expression had been a sober one throughout most of the time Icheb had been present in the Conference Room, his face broke into a wide grin when he heard this question. "I cannot disagree with you, Commander. For the past six years, we've faced one challenge after another. So far, we've survived, thanks to our captain, of course, but also to our crew, including our youngest members. They've added a great deal to our life on _Voyager_. We've become a family here. Perhaps you'll find your scout sphere will form a family of its own as you work together to maintain your freedom."

"Perhaps we will. 'The House of the Former Borg.' I like that concept, Commander." Turning to Seven, he asked, "Annika, will you bring me to see your captain now? I would like to pay my respects to her for her bravery in allowing herself to be assimilated. She risked losing herself to her greatest enemy."

"Korok, will you allow Icheb to accompany you to Sickbay instead? My presence is required in Astrometrics. I have been absent from my duties too much of the time lately," Seven's carefully phrased reply was puzzling to Icheb. Since she'd known Korok in Unimatrix Zero, Icheb thought she would welcome the chance to introduce him to the away team.

"Of course. Is it all right with you, Commander? And with you, Icheb?"

After Commander Chakotay and Icheb both agreed to this change of plan, Chakotay turned to the younger children. "Mezoti? Azan? Rebi? Would you three like to go along with Icheb and the commander to Sickbay to visit with the captain?"

The others said they would prefer to go to their cargo bay quarters instead, so only Icheb led the way for Korok. The Klingon's silence during their progress permitted Icheb to communicate subvocally with Mezoti, however _. /Seven does not seem to be herself, even though our mission was completed successfully. Do you know what's wrong?/_

 _/She was upset when she found out about Axum./_

 _/Did he die in the Queen's attacks?/_

 _/No, that isn't it. Seven found out Axum's on a ship on the other side of the galaxy. They always hoped they'd meet in real life someday, and now they don't think it's possible. It's making her sad. She has very strong feelings for him, Icheb./_

 _/What about you? How are you doing?/_

 _/I liked being on a ship and traveling around when we first came on board. I'm not sure I like it anymore. A lot of bad things can happen to people who travel through space./_

 _/It will be better soon. You'll see. I was right about the captain protecting us, wasn't I?/_

He had arrived at the entrance to Sickbay. Icheb waved Korok through the door and followed him inside. He introduced the Klingon commander to the Doctor, who began what promised to be a lengthy introductory speech, which was promptly interrupted. Commander Korok literally shouldered the Doctor aside, much to the EMH's displeasure, and forcefully took over the meeting. He went up to the captain and saluted her. "Captain, I once met Admiral Janeway, your father. A great man. You come from a noble House of warriors. And Lieutenant Paris - you were in command when I contacted _Voyager_ for the first time. It is good to meet you in person. You come from a famous human House yourself, as I recall. Lieutenant Torres! I am honored to meet you. You have brought much honor to your House by your actions on this day. And this must be Commander Tuvok. Doctor? Is he regenerating? . . . . "

Icheb stepped back as Commander Korok interrogated the Doctor about his plans for treating the away team, especially Commander Tuvok.

Icheb realized he hadn't detected an answer to the last question he'd sent out to Mezoti. He tried again. _/Mezoti? Did you hear what I thought to you before?/_

She still did not reply.

=/\=


	25. The Play's the Thing

=/\=

Icheb was restless. He didn't have anyone with whom he could interact this evening. Mezoti had been polite but distant since the last time she had communicated with him subvocally, which was when Icheb was bringing Commander Korok to Sickbay. Seven had also been unusually quiet since the end of the Unimatrix Zero action, as the crew called it. She had also been noticeably less efficient, although Icheb refrained from pointing this out. He doubted she would be receptive to his comments. Whenever he did pose a question to Seven, she was frigidly correct in her responses, but then she would turn away and busy herself with a task that seemingly required her entire attention. Actually having a conversation with her was out of the question. Azan and Rebi were - well, they were Azan and Rebi. Although Icheb seldom "heard" any subvocal communications between the brothers, he was sure this was the primary way they expressed their thoughts to one another.

When Icheb wasn't busy with his own assignments, he felt a strange emptiness. The only time he'd felt anything comparable was when he'd first become aware on the Borg cube, before First arrived to complicate his life. He suspected he was feeling the emotion of loneliness, but although the prescribed antidote to this condition was to spend time with others, he wasn't having much luck finding anyone wishing to spend time with him.

In desperation, he'd visited with Marla Gilmore and Aimee for a while. The baby was getting to be very cute and responsive. She liked making crowing sounds, smiled at anyone who paid attention to her, and generally was a very lively miniature person. Unfortunately, the visit didn't last very long. Marla needed to put her daughter to bed shortly after he arrived, leaving Icheb at loose ends again. He thought briefly of visiting Naomi and Ensign Wildman, but then dismissed the idea. Neelix told Icheb that Naomi was having nightmares about being assimilated ever since this last encounter with the Borg. Icheb didn't believe Naomi's mother would approve of a visit from a former Borg who had residual implants on his face to remind her daughter of that fact. Since Ensign Wildman was working this Beta shift, Neelix was on duty in the Wildman quarters, caring for his goddaughter. Ensign Kim was in charge of the bridge.

Icheb checked out the public holodeck program running on Holodeck 1. Unfortunately, it was Sandrine's. The barkeeper had informed Icheb he was unwelcome in her bar unless an adult member of the crew was with him. In Sandrine's eyes Icheb was "underage" and needed to be supervised. Since Holodeck 2 had been reserved by several crew members to experience their own personal programs, to "unwind" after their stressful encounters with Captain Janeway's mortal enemy, that was not an option, either.

While Icheb seldom spent much time on his research project in the evening, he found himself wandering to the Sickbay lab to check on a couple of his experiments; but once he'd finished doing that, he was back where he started.

He was just about to go to "Borg Central" to turn in early for an regeneration cycle when he heard voices in Sickbay. Once he realized one belonged to Lieutenant Paris, he stuck his head inside the entrance, hoping engage at least one person in a conversation before giving up and going home.

Tom was seated next to Lieutenant Torres's biobed. Icheb couldn't tell if Tom was conversing with his girlfriend or not. She looked like she was sound asleep from where Icheb was standing. The EMH was nowhere in sight, nor was Ensign Wildman, who was the Doctor's "acting" primary field medic as long as Tom was still _Voyager's_ Acting First Officer.

Icheb sighed and started to leave; but just then, Tom looked up and noticed him. Although he didn't call out, Tom waved Icheb into the room and pointed to a chair near the one Tom was using. When Icheb got close, he could see all three of the away team members were asleep.

"It's okay to speak, as long as we keep the volume turned down to low," Tom told Icheb, once he was settled on the chair between Lieutenant Torres's bed and the captain's. "The Doctor just administered sedatives to them. He caught the captain reviewing status reports on a PADD Chakotay smuggled in to her. At her request, of course."

"Was it the Doctor you were speaking with before?"

"Yup. He's gone to chew out our Acting Captain for 'placing the captain's recuperation at risk,' as he put it. Doc didn't keep _his_ volume down, even though he got mad at me out for not whispering softly enough when I answered his questions." Tom's voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Icheb noted, "The Doctor's orders are usually for everyone else, not necessarily for him."

"Very observant of you, Icheb. I predict you'll go far in whatever path in life you choose to follow after _Voyager_." The grin on Tom's face faded briefly. Icheb realized he was also aware of how close they all had been to being assimilated.

"Are you in charge of Sickbay tonight?"

"Only temporarily, until the Doc comes back. I'm due on the bridge at 2300 to cover Gamma Shift."

"I never had a chance to congratulate you on your promotion, Tom. Congratulations." Icheb wished he'd phrased that better, but it was too late to take it back now.

Tom shrugged his shoulders. "Thanks, Icheb. It was more of a restoration of rank rather than a promotion. We didn't have time to do much celebrating. Once B'Elanna gets better, we'll find a way." The pilot softly brushed a lock of hair away from his girlfriend's face. "By the way, thanks for assisting Lieutenant Carey in Engineering the other day. He said you were a big help with repairs down there. I need to thank your 'go-fer' Mezoti, too, when I see her. I know she's a brilliant kid. I learned that the hard way when she shocked me on your cube! But I would have thought she would've preferred to spend her time hanging out with Naomi while you were working."

Icheb could not stifle a sigh. "Mezoti didn't want me to leave her. It was better she came with me. She hasn't been doing that well lately. She was very upset when she thought we might be re-assimilated."

"Mezoti? Upset? You'd never know that from the way she looks."

"You've been busy. If you saw her now, you'd see how she's changed." Icheb paused, not sure how much he should say. Then he realized this was the real reason he was looking for someone to speak with. Since Seven was still walking around like a ghost because of her sad feelings about Axum, Tom was probably a better confidant at the moment. Icheb blurted out, "Mezoti said she liked traveling on _Voyager_ in the beginning, but now she doesn't. She told me a lot of bad things can happen on a ship. She thinks she'd be safer if she lived on a planet. It's not only because of what just happened, Tom. She knows her family was on a ship when they were taken by the Borg."

Tom's mouth formed a grim line. "I hate to say it, but it probably would be safer on a planet. Most of the time," he amended. "Not so much when one has an active transwarp tunnel a light year away, like Brunal. But bad things happen on planets too. Earthquakes, meteor strikes, violent storms, floods. Lots of bad things happen everywhere."

"I know. I've told her that, but it hasn't seemed to help."

"Has she mentioned anything that _has_ helped her?"

"She said she liked doing the assignment Ensign Megan Delaney gave her in Astrometrics, when we first heard about the Borg attacking the asteroid colony. Examining a nebula distracted her. It took her mind off what was happening - for a while, at least."

Tom's only audible response was a "hmmm" for a long while. Finally he said, "Mezoti likes going on the holodeck, doesn't she?"

"She likes going to Fair Haven with Naomi. She also enjoyed herself the time she changed Tuvok's 'Temple of Tanit' program with Harry; but she got into a lot of trouble when Seven found out and administered one of her Punishment Protocols."

"Well, that lets out tweaking any more of Tuvok's programs." Looking over at the Vulcan, who was still in a medically induced coma to facilitate healing, Tom added, "Not that I'd want to mess with anything of his for a while anyway. He'll need to use his programs for meditation when he's awake and ready to work out what happened to him, when he couldn't keep the Queen out of his head." The lieutenant thought hard for a few moments more. "I promised to write a new program for you kids a few weeks ago, a 'Junior Captain Proton' extravaganza type of thing, but now that Tuvok won't be back on duty for a couple of weeks, I won't have time. And maybe space battles wouldn't be all that good for Mezoti right now anyway. I wonder . . . in your studies, have you read any plays?"

"Yes, a few, but I can't think of any that would help Mezoti."

"Not an existing play, perhaps. But we could write our own."

"Not about the Borg!"

"I was thinking more about our Deck 12 'monster.' Neelix told me he gave the story a very dramatic interpretation. He said he acted out the different voices of the crew for you."

"Not very well."

Tom chuckled. "Maybe you kids could do it better. We could write our own 'ghost story play' about the nebula critter. It might be good for all of us, actually. You could put it on for the whole crew. I think everyone could do with something light-hearted. We've had talent shows with dramatic readings and concerts in the past. Tuvok and I have written some fun holonovels that the crew seems to enjoy, too. I think I could find the time to write a play. Maybe B'Elanna could help out. That sort of activity might be good for her. I'm sure the Doc won't let her go back on a full duty schedule for several days after he discharges her from Sickbay. She'll drive everyone crazy if she doesn't have something else to keep her busy. We can appeal to that vast pool of experience she acquired when she doctored Kelis's play, ' _The Rescue of B'Elanna Torres'"._

"We could try," Icheb replied. " _'The Haunting of Deck 12.'_ It might be fun . . ."

=/\=

The next afternoon, Tom came to the mess hall while all of the children were having lunch and presented his idea about putting on a play. Icheb was pleased to see Mezoti perk up a bit when Tom explained his idea, since she'd done some exploring of the ship's literary database before _Voyager_ encountered the Borg.

"Which one should we do, Lieutenant Paris? I read _'Peter Pan,'_ but I don't know how we could fly to Neverland."

"Actually, I was thinking we could write our own play. You remember our 'Ghost on Deck 12' - the story Neelix told you that time we had to shut down all power? The entire crew already knows the story of what happened, and about his release into his new nebula. We could create weird sounds coming from the lower part of the ship, make the doors shut when we wanted them open and open when we didn't - stuff like that. Neelix has already offered to help us, and B'Elanna can be our director, since she's going to be on light duty for another week or so and will have some time to spare. What do you say?"

Everyone said "yes!"

=/\=

For the next week, when Lieutenant Paris wasn't on duty or working on building a new _Delta Flyer_ , he was helping the children and Neelix write _"'The Haunting of Deck 12,' a new play by Icheb, Mezoti, Naomi Wildman, Neelix, B'Elanna Torres, and Tom Paris."_ Several members of the crew gave up their off duty time to help with painting scenery and preparing the sound and lighting effects.

Naomi, who had always looked up to Captain Janeway and wanted to be her "Captain's Assistant" when she was little, took that role. Mezoti volunteered to be Seven. Commander Tuvok was to be played by Azan, and Rebi asked to play Ensign Kim. Marla Gilmore said she would help out by carrying Aimee around and speaking her lines for her, so Aimee could play the part of Lieutenant Torres. Neelix agreed to play himself.

That left four major roles to fill, but Lieutenant Torres had an idea. "When I was shipwrecked on Kelis's Planet, the actors carried masks so they could play more than one character. They were able to switch between them in seconds, and the audience knew which characters the actors were playing from the masks in front of their faces as they said their lines. Icheb, you could play Commander Chakotay, the Doctor, and Lieutenant Paris that way."

"You could play Crewman Tal Celes, too, Icheb. Then you can punch Rebi in the stomach when Ensign Kim is lost in the dark," Mezoti suggested.

Everyone - with the exception of Rebi - laughed at this, but Icheb said, a little reluctantly, "I don't think we're going to put that part in the play, Mezoti." Icheb sighed, hoping he'd be overruled by the other playwrights. He thought that part would be funny.

"Icheb's right. We may need to do a little editing to make our story fit into the time we'll have available to put it on. Little Aimee may get tired and not cooperate for a long play. And we'll be giving two shows, remember, so anyone on the crew who wants to see it will be able to," Tom remarked. Icheb thought the lieutenant looked a little sad the punching part would need to be cut out, too. Whatever the group decided, Icheb would be okay with it.

"There's one more character. Who is going to play our 'haunt,' Lieutenant Paris?" Azan asked.

"Lights. We can rig up spotlights in different colors and shine them on the stage, moving spots from one place to another, the way our nebula critter moved around the ship," Tom answered.

After the script was ready, they had their first rehearsal. Right from the beginning, it went much better than Icheb had expected. Afterwards, Mezoti said to Icheb, "When I was walking to the places where Lieutenant Torres told me to stand and I read my lines, I felt very strange, Icheb. My heart was beating very fast. My face was warm, and I was breathing like I ran somewhere, but I haven't been running. Do you think my cardiovascular system enhancements are malfunctioning?"

"No. When that happens, you're just excited. I'm getting excited, too. I'm really looking forward to performing this for the crew next week."

"Me too. I can hardly wait for 'fun to commence' this time."

When the "playwrights" got together afterwards, to make what Tom and Lieutenant Torres called "tweaks" to the script, Icheb told Tom about what Mezoti had said. "She's acting like the Mezoti I'm used to seeing."

"That's great, Icheb. I hope this helps her feel better about being on _Voyager_. I know Naomi is starting to look more like her 'old self,' too."

=/\=

The play was a huge success. As far as Icheb could tell, the entire crew was in the audience for one of the performances. In fact, a few managed to get to both performances. The Delaney sisters helped with make-up. They were especially successful transforming little Aimee into "Lieutenant Torres" by using cosmetic pencils to draw in Klingon ridges on her forehead. Lieutenant Torres laughed and said ridges "never looked that good on me." As it turned out, no one needed to worry about Aimee. Marla was clad in an all-black outfit and carried her daughter, who was dressed in a miniature Operations uniform, like a puppeteer carrying a puppet. Aimee did her part perfectly and basked in all the attention. She was dubbed "our little star in the making" by Captain Janeway.

Best of all, from Icheb's point of view, Mezoti told him she was extremely happy playing the role of "Seven of Nine." Mezoti was involved with many aspects of the play. She wrote many of her own lines and helped to paint the backdrop which came down at the end of the play: a colorful nebula surrounded by stars, for the "critter" lights to fly onto when he left the ship to go to his new home. Icheb hoped this would be what Mezoti needed to be happy on _Voyager_ again.

=/\=


	26. Celebrations

=/\=

Right after the play, Icheb began working more extensively with the engineers of the Shuttle Maintenance Bay who were hard at work building a new version of the _Delta Flyer_. Tom's original designs had been "tweaked" a little. When Tom had any time to spare, he worked with Lieutenant Torres, Ensign Kim, Lieutenant Carey, and Ensign Myers, discussing ways to upgrade all the shuttle's systems to make it even more useful than the prototype had been. Icheb volunteered to help out with the build, as "go-fer," if in no other capacity. He quickly was given responsibility to perform various tasks during the construction of the new ship.

Icheb was curious about the process, since what Borg knowledge he had obtained had been assimilated, not learned. There were major holes in his understanding of how the systems worked together. One day, Lieutenant Torres jokingly asked, "Are you thinking about becoming a shuttle designer, Icheb?"

Sheepishly, he admitted, "I don't think so, Lieutenant. I wish to expand my knowledge base in all aspects of life on a starship. Having a firm grasp of engineering concepts may help me in my future career. Actually, I've been thinking about applying to Starfleet Academy. I understand they have a program for long-distance learners."

The lieutenant laughed. "You'd certainly qualify on that score." She sat back on her heels and looked into his face. "You're really serious about this, aren't you?"

"I've been thinking about it for a while. I understand the captain would have to recommend me in order for me to be accepted."

"Even to go to the Academy on Earth, someone has to recommend you. I also think your parent or guardian must approve of your plans to apply to the Academy. I know my mother was reluctant to let me go, but she finally gave her consent. Not that it did me that much good in the end. I only stuck it out for two years."

Icheb's hopeful facial expression dimmed. "You don't think I'd do well?"

"Oh, just the opposite! You'd be great! And, just between us, the captain told me once that one professors of mine, who I thought didn't like me, was disappointed when I dropped out. I guess I wasn't doing as badly as I thought I was. What I meant to say was, you need to speak with Seven. The captain has appointed her as your guardian, so she's the one who should ask the captain for that recommendation. I'm sure Seven will do it. She always speaks very highly of you and your accomplishments during staff meetings."

"She does?"

"Oh, yes. She's proud of Mezoti and the twins for adjusting so well and so quickly to life on _Voyager_ , but she's especially happy with how well you're doing. Talk to her about this. No hurry, of course, We're going to be on this ship for a very long time. Still, the sooner you get this settled with Seven and the captain, the sooner you can prepare for the Starfleet Entrance Examination. You'll have no trouble passing that, I'm sure. You're a very bright guy. You'll do well."

Icheb felt his cheeks getting a little warm from dilating blood vessels. From her smile, Lieutenant Torres must have seen it, too. He was glad when she changed the subject.

"Well, Icheb, I think we should get back to work. Tom and Harry want to do a test flight of the _Delta Flyer II_ tomorrow, and I think we'll be just about ready by then."

=/\=

Icheb was still debating about how to ask Seven about requesting the recommendation from the captain when everyone's attention was diverted by the Big Race. During the final test flight of the _Delta Flyer II,_ Tom and Harry encountered a pilot named Irina, who told them about the Antarean Transtellar Rally. The race was being held to commemorate a new peace accord agreement between four planetary systems which had been at war with each other for over a hundred years. Participation by other groups was welcomed, as long as the ships entered met specific criteria regarding propulsion systems, etc.

When Tom and Harry presented the idea of entering the race with their newly-built shuttle, they assumed they'd have trouble convincing the captain to suspend their journey to the Alpha Quadrant long enough for them to enter the two-day race. As it turned out, she thought it was a brilliant idea - but they were expected to win!

Icheb heard there was a little issue about whether or not Tom would be able to pilot the modified _Delta Flyer II_ in the race. He'd had a prior commitment for a weekend holodeck adventure with his girlfriend B'Elanna Torres. That "glitch" was solved when Ensign Kim allowed Lieutenant Torres to take over as Tom's co-pilot, so the couple could still spend the weekend together. When an accident on Irina's ship hurt her co-pilot on the first day of the race, Harry was able to take his place. According to Tom, it didn't hurt that Irina was very pretty, and Harry was more than a little smitten with her.

Although Icheb had never had any experience with sporting events other than the games he'd played on Brunal, during his short and ultimately unhappy stay there, once he had the chance to review the rally's parameters, Icheb thought it would be a lot of fun. Azan and Rebi even developed more than a passing interest in the activity. The crew as a whole became very "keyed up" in anticipation, but when the first day's leg began, Seven was supposed to let everyone know what was going on from her post in Astrometrics. Neelix was not at all satisfied by her "race calling technique."

Once Neelix took over, everyone experienced the race vicariously. The Talaxian was a natural "sportscaster," according to Ensign Ayala, because Neelix understood how important it was to call the events of the race as soon as they occurred. It _was_ much more exciting when Neelix announced the current status of all the racing ships over _Voyager's_ comm system. Icheb thought Neelix was even more successful calling the race than he was telling the story of the nebula "critter." Even Seven seemed more interested in the race results once Neelix was at the comm.

Tom and B'Elanna won the first day's leg of the race, but they were sidelined on the second day by an attempt to sabotage the peace treaty. Irina lent them a part to help them qualify the _Flyer_ for the race. It turned out to be rigged to explode when it crossed the finish line. If her plan had succeeded, hundreds of people - including everyone on _Voyager_ \- would have been killed.

When Icheb heard that, he hoped Mezoti wouldn't find out.

After _Voyager_ retrieved the _Delta Flyer II_ , which had to eject its warp core to prevent the explosion that would have killed everyone, another event occurred that kept Icheb from speaking with Seven about his desire to enter Starfleet Academy.

Tom asked B'Elanna to marry him while they were waiting to be towed into _Voyager's_ shuttle bay. She accepted. And they wanted the ceremony to take place that very same day. Since _Voyager_ was already hosting the post-race festivities, the captain readily agreed. Fortunately, Neelix had already prepared a large amount of food for the after-race get-together. Now he had to switch roles, from Race Announcer to Chef/Wedding Caterer. He managed to replicate a wedding cake, with all the traditional decorations, as well as set up Holodeck 1 as a wedding venue, less than three hours after Tom and B'Elanna arrived back on the ship.

Mezoti and Naomi were dubbed "flower girls/junior bridesmaids" and were provided with brand-new dressy outfits for the occasion. Azan and Rebi each held one of the couple's rings and were to hand them to the "Best Man," Ensign Kim, at the appropriate stage of the ceremony. Just before the wedding began, Mezoti sniffed, "Both rings are easy to hold in _one_ hand. Why did Lieutenant Paris ask both of the twins to be in the wedding party?"

"I think he didn't want to hurt the feelings of the one who didn't get to hold the rings," Icheb replied.

"Then he should have asked you to hold them. You're more Lieutenant Paris's friend than Azan and Rebi are."

"I'm fine just being a guest. You look beautiful, Mezoti. This is the most wonderful wedding I've ever attended."

"Isn't this the only one you've ever attended?" Mezoti asked, her brow arched sharply.

Icheb answered with a grin, "As far as I know. It's still the best, because I've seen Tom with B'Elanna. They love each other very much."

Mezoti nodded her head slightly in agreement. Then they had to part. Mezoti walked with Naomi down the middle of the holodeck floor, which had been quickly programmed to have an aisle with seats on each side, to do her flower girl/bridesmaid duty by scattering flower petals in front of B'Elanna as the bride walked down on Commander Chakotay's arm. Icheb took a seat on the "groom's side" to listen to the couple's vows. Captain Janeway did the honors and performed the ceremony, which was, Icheb learned, a captain's prerogative.

=/\=

The dignitaries and racers all attended the ceremony along with the crew who weren't on duty, since Ambassador O'Zaal, the race coordinator, insisted on presenting a commendation to the couple. "At the risk of their own lives, they prevented a tragedy, which could have caused our new, but still fragile interplanetary peace agreement to shatter." In his speech, the ambassador also praised Captain Janeway for the Federation's participation in the race, "showing our systems that it _is_ possible for people of many planets to work together, for the good of all."

The wedding reception in the mess hall didn't last very long. Once the cake was cut and the bride's bouquet was thrown (into the arms of Seven of Nine, who was less than thrilled the captain had made her stand in the group of unmarried females in the first place), Tom and B'Elanna flew the slightly repaired _Flyer_ out of _Voyager's_ shuttle bay, to drift slowly in the immediate vicinity while the couple had their "honeymoon." That didn't mean the party was over. The post-race festivities went on for several hours.

At one point Ambassador O'Zaal, approached Icheb and inquired about the presence of the formerly-Borg children on _Voyager_. Icheb briefly related the story of their rescue from the doomed Borg cube.

"That's a fascinating story. I can't say I've ever heard anything like it before. Once the Borg attack, there's seldom anything left to salvage, let alone people to rescue who have been assimilated."

"It doesn't happen very often. From my studies of the Federation database, it has happened only twice in the Alpha Quadrant. Both times, the _USS Enterprise_ was involved. _Voyager_ has succeeded even more times than that ship has."

"It does give us all hope that more may be freed in the future," Ambassador O'Zaal said. He paused, and then said casually, "I'm not familiar with your species, Icheb. They must live some distance from here."

"They do. The Borg have attacked Brunal many times, so my people no longer travel very far from the home planet. That may be why you've never met any of them before."

"Why didn't you go back there to stay? Was it too far off _Voyager's_ course?"

Icheb pretended to cough a few times to think about what to tell the ambassador. Finally, he said, "The captain did bring me back, but after being Borg, I had trouble adjusting to life there. I preferred to travel in space. And my people didn't expect me to ever come back, you see. So the captain agreed to let me continue on to the Alpha Quadrant with _Voyager_."

 _/That's not what happened at all, Icheb! Why are you protecting your parents?/_

 _/Ambassador O'Zaal has no need to know my entire history, Mezoti. That's going to be my story from now on if someone like him asks me about the Brunali./_

 _/I'm not afraid to tell the truth about the Norcadi,/_ Mezoti thought back to him, as she strode deliberately to the corner of the mess hall where Icheb and O'Zaal were speaking.

When Mezoti arrived, she said, "My people are the Norcadi. They know I'm on _Voyager_ , but they never asked the captain to return me to them. So here I am."

Icheb and O'Zaal exchanged pained glances at Mezoti's brutally accurate statement. After an extended pause, O'Zaal said, "Unlike the Brunali, the Norcadi _have_ traveled in this area of space. I am familiar with your species. I'm . . . uh . . . sure they have their reasons."

"Of course. I was Borg. If you look at me, you can see I was Borg. I have no family left, so they don't want me around to remind them of the Collective."

After this pronouncement, Mezoti stepped resolutely away and began to speak with one of the Ensign Delaneys. Icheb turned back to the ambassador. "I'm sorry Mezoti acted that way, Ambassador O'Zaal. She's not usually that way. We've had a difficult time recently. I believe Captain Janeway told you about our recent encounter with the Borg?"

"She did. She told me we may have other former Borg contacting us in the future. Will they all be . . . well, will they be as forward as our Norcadi friend Mezoti?"

"Commander Korok may be. He was a Klingon before he was assimilated." At the ambassador's puzzled look, Icheb clarified, "Lieutenant Torres, the bride, is half-Klingon. They are a warrior species of the Alpha Quadrant who hold very high standards of honor. I believe you will like the Commander if you meet him."

"Thanks for the warning," the ambassador said, chuckling softly. When he began to glance around at the other partygoers, Icheb thought he might wish to speak with someone else and would excuse himself momentarily from his conversation with Icheb. Icheb was surprised when O'Zaal asked, "And what about the two young men in the wedding party? The ringbearers, I believe the captain called them? Is the captain planning on taking them to their home planet, too? Or does she want to avoid any more . . . complications, like you experienced?"

"Azan and Rebi? We haven't been able to find out who their people are. I know the captain has sent out messages whenever we pass a planetary system or station, leaving a record of their DNA and their images, so if anyone recognizes their species, they can contact _Voyager_. So far, no one has gotten back to us."

"I see." Icheb noticed an odd expression on O'Zaal's face. "I do have some diplomatic contacts. Perhaps I can be of assistance to your captain. I would be happy to be of service to you in any way I can. We owe you a great debt for helping the rally turn out so well. "

"For everyone but Irina," Icheb corrected him.

"Terrorists cannot expect things to end well for them, young Mr. Icheb. Well, let me go over to your captain and offer my services in the matter of the mysterious Azan and Rebi. It has been a joy speaking with you. I wish you a good journey to your new home in the Alpha Quadrant." The ambassador bobbed his head slightly in the rapid little bow diplomats apparently do to render respect. Icheb had seen several of the other officials making that same gesture when beginning or ending an encounter with their counterparts.

Icheb watched O'Zaal approach Captain Janeway, who was in a very expansive mood this evening. When the ambassador began to speak with her, however, her demeanor changed rapidly. She listened intently to whatever he was saying to her. Moments later, he offered her his arm and they left the mess hall together, still deep in conversation.

=/\=

Icheb later found out what that conversation had been about. O'Zaal recognized the twins as belonging to the Wysanti race. He offered to act as a go-between for Captain Janeway with that people's diplomats, to ask them if any twin boys had gone missing or were known to have been lost to the Borg during the past couple of years. His Wysanti contacts quickly answered in the affirmative. Just before _Voyager_ continued on its journey, O'Zaal passed this information on to Captain Janeway, causing her to order a change of course: towards the Wysanti system.

Icheb did not learn this from Seven until a couple of weeks later. In the interim, another incident occurred to test the bonds of the crew of all of those dwelling on _Voyager_ \- especially Mezoti.

=/\=

 _ **[Author's Note:]**_

 _ **I know, I know. "Imperfection" aired before "Drive." However, by the Stardates mentioned within the episodes, the actual order at the beginning of the seventh season should have been: "Unimatrix Zero II," "Drive," "Repression," and then "Imperfection." The**_ **Delta Flyer II** _**was fully functional in "Imperfection." Tom and Harry are making the final test flights of the newly-built shuttle at the beginning of "Drive." Also, Tom's wedding ring is clearly visible on his left hand in close-ups during the surgical scenes in "Imperfection." There is no doubt that "Drive" must come first. By Stardate, "Repression" should take place before "Imperfection," too. So, for the purposes of this story, I'm maintaining the timeline indicated within the episodes, rather than going by the date each episode originally aired. That's the way it SHOULD be, in canon.**_

 _ **jamelia**_

=/\=


	27. The Mutiny

=/\=

Icheb, Mezoti, Azan and Rebi didn't find one particular day each month as special as the rest of the crew did. That was "mail day." Once a month, thanks to Lieutenant Reginald Barclay and the Pathfinder Project, two data downloads between Starfleet Command and _Voyager_ took place. The first datastream came from the Federation. Neelix distributed the messages which had been sent to those on _Voyager_. Just before the Pathfinder transmission window was scheduled to close, return messages from the crew, along with any that had been uploaded since the previous month's transmission, were sent to the Alpha Quadrant, to be distributed by Starfleet to friends and family.

On this mail day, Crewman Gilmore received very good news: official confirmation that her petition to adopt little Aimee had been received and was scheduled to be heard by the relevant family court "shortly." Her sister sent Marla a separate message to let her know she had been accepted to act in Marla's behalf when the hearing was to take place. "The lawyer we hired said he doesn't expect any trouble at all in granting the adoption. The log records from Captain Janeway show Aimee's natural parents are deceased, and the one living relative available has granted her consent for you to adopt her. He said that given the distances, and the fact that there are no known relatives on the father's side, the adoption should go through rather quickly. He projects it will take about six months, and at most a year, before it's all official. Isn't that great? We'll keep you posted, but don't worry. I have a good feeling about this!"

Marla herself knew it might not be quite that easy. She was privy to information her sister did not have: that Marla Gilmore was one of the crew members of the ill-fated _Equinox_ , another ship ship abducted by The Caretaker. Under the direction of Captain Rudolph Ransom and his first officer Lieutenant Maxwell Burke, the crew murdered members of an alien species encountered during their own attempt to return to the Alpha Quadrant. The aliens' bodies were then converted into fuel. Starfleet Command was aware of these atrocities, but Captain Janeway had informed the "Equinox Five" that this information was highly classified. With any luck, the court would never learn of that cloud over Marla's future before ruling in favor of the adoption. The judge might agree even if the situation became known, since _Voyager's_ journey home was expected to take decades, at best. No one could possibly think it would be good for little Aimee to have her family status remain in limbo for that long. Besides, Aimee could be fully grown before _Voyager_ returned home.

Choosing to "stay positive," as Neelix was always saying, Marla invited her fellow _Equinox_ veterans, as well as Aimee's "Borg siblings" and their guardian Seven, to a low-key celebration held in the Gilmore quarters. Of course, Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay were also invited, as was "Grandpa" Tuvok and a few of Marla's coworkers from Engineering. Since Neelix catered the food, he was present, too.

"I heard you received a letter from home, Tuvok," Captain Janeway said to her tactical officer.

After flicking narrowed eyes in Neelix's direction, since he knew where the captain had obtained her intelligence, Tuvok nodded gravely. "My son Sek contacted me. It was his turn to inform me of the family's status. My granddaughter T'Meni is doing very well. He told me she is more advanced than most of the children in her early childhood mental discipline classes, even though she is the youngest. He also wished to inform me of a change in his career goals. I was gratified he thought it important to let me know of this decision. He is fully grown and a father himself now. He did not require my approval; but of course, in my reply, I told him he had it."

"It sounds like a wonderful letter, Tuvok."

"It was satisfactory, Captain." Icheb caught the captain's grin as she turned away to greet Crewman Lessing, who had just arrived at the party. Icheb was also amused by Commander Tuvok's "low-key" reaction to his son's letter. Tuvok's devotion to his family was a well-known fact to everyone living on _Voyager_ , even though the Vulcan tactical officer pretended not to know it.

Icheb's thought process was interrupted by a subvocal message. _/I'm glad Aimee is going to be Crewman Gilmore's daughter, Icheb./_

 _/As am I. Did you have any doubts about it?/_

 _/I accessed the logs about her former ship./_

 _/Mezoti, that information is under the tightest security restrictions!/_

 _/I can hack into those files easily./_

 _/Mezoti . . . /_

 _/I understand_ you're _too cautious to try. You don't need to. You're older. People tell you things they won't tell me. How else did I find out the Norcadi never responded to the captain when she practically begged them to find me a family to live with?/_

Icheb blocked her away from his thoughts - at least, he hoped he had been successful doing it. If she could hack into highly classified records, then she knew about all the times they had been in danger on _Voyager_.

 _/I didn't need to hack into any files about that terrorist Irina's plan to blow everyone up at the finish line. Ambassador O'Zaal spilled that out in his speech at Tom and B'Elanna's wedding./_

 _/Mezoti! Stop prying into my mind when I'm trying to block you out!/_

 _/Do a better job blocking me out next time!/_

When he looked across the room at Mezoti, she had a very smug look on her face. He sighed. If he couldn't keep his most private thoughts to himself, despite his best efforts, keeping her calm during the next crisis _Voyager_ experienced wasn't going to be easy.

=/\=

It didn't take long for that next crisis to manifest itself. Members of the crew began to fall into comas, and at first, no one was able to figure out why. Since all of the comatose individuals served with Commander Chakotay on his Maquis vessel, the _Val Jean,_ long-buried resentments between the Starfleet and Maquis crew members began to resurface, along with a good deal of paranoia. It was even more disturbing when Commander Chakotay and Lieutenant Torres, the most senior of _Voyager's_ Maquis officers, became unconscious.

At first, when the sleepers began to wake up, everyone thought the crisis was over. When Chakotay and the other awakened Maquis took over the ship and imprisoned all those not participating in the mutiny, the crisis worsened. Many of the former Maquis did not go along with the mutineers and were incarcerated along with the Starfleet crew - and with the former Borg. The children were locked in their cargo bay without access to the ship's systems, including the computer consoles.

Seven was separated from them, but no one had to tell them where Seven was. Mezoti contacted her subvocally and relayed a message from Seven to the other children. She had been locked in a cell in the brig because of the mutiny.

"What is a mutiny, Icheb? Mezoti asked. "I don't understand."

Icheb knew what it meant. "In the past, on ships that sail on water, crews sometimes became upset with their captains and took over their ships. It's almost unheard of in Starfleet, but I believe it has occurred a couple of times during the past hundred years."

"Everyone always gets along very well. Why would they attack each other? I heard Lieutenant Paris is locked up, and his wife Lieutenant Torres is one of the mutineers! I thought they loved one another!"

"I don't think any of them are in their right minds. The Maquis who locked us up must have been taken over by an alien species while they were unconscious. I'm sure they'll come around soon and everything will be fine again." From his studies, Icheb knew mutineers usually put the captain and anyone who wouldn't join in with the mutineers adrift in a small ship, but he didn't volunteer this information. The last thing he wanted was for Mezoti to become more upset with living on _Voyager_ than she already was. He didn't think things would go that far.

When they heard _Voyager_ was in orbit over an M-Class planet, however, Icheb began to worry. It might be safer on a planet, but being marooned on one didn't appeal to Icheb. The mutineers weren't likely to leave them any shuttles to allow them to get off that planet once they were there. Would there be anything for them to eat? What about power for regeneration, or for computers? Would they even leave them with any computers or regeneration alcoves?

He tried to keep all his worrying away from Mezoti. He did not succeed.

Still communicating subvocally, so that no one but the four children, and possibly Seven, would know what they were saying to one another, Mezoti asked _, /I wonder if there are any interesting bugs down there?/_

 _/Mezoti, let it go,/_ Icheb said, trying to keep himself from getting discouraged. _/Let's be positive, like Neelix always says. Something will save us./_

 _/You're very optimistic, without any reason to be that way,/_ countered Mezoti.

 _/We'd have a home, Icheb,/_ Rebi said.

 _/That's positive, isn't it?/_ Azan added.

They waited for several more hours before the door of "Borg Central" was unlocked and Seven walked inside to join them.

"It's over. Captain Janeway is back in command."

Seven explained the situation was created by a Bajoran cleric who had been too radical even for the Maquis. Shortly after the Vulcan had infiltrated Chakotay's Maquis cell, he'd brainwashed Tuvok and programmed him to respond to a future subliminal message. Why Vedek Teero did this, no one could tell. He knew Tuvok was a Starfleet spy, but what he hoped to gain by having the Maquis take over _Voyager_ , so far away from the Alpha Quadrant, years after the Maquis movement had been destroyed by the Cardassians and their allies, no one could say. Tuvok eventually realized he was the one at the center of the mutiny. Using a mind meld, he was able to bring Commander Chakotay back to normal. Once he was himself again, the commander ended a mutiny none of the Maquis really wanted.

After everyone understood what had happened, as well as Tuvok's role in accomplishing it, there were a lot of very embarrassed former Maquis who expected to spend time in the brig, or, at the very least, be severely reprimanded. Captain Janeway finally announced that _no one_ would be punished, since mind control was the reason this happened, and resisting it was beyond anyone's power. Indeed, it was Tuvok's innocent letter from his son Sek, which had been tampered with by Vedek Teero before transmission through the datastream, which provoked the incident. "No permanent harm has been done, everyone. Be assured of that," the captain said in her speech to the crew.

Icheb hoped that was true. He was very much afraid damage _had_ been done to one of their number. When he tried to speak with Mezoti about it, she ignored him.

=/\=


	28. Partings

=/\=

As Naomi Wildman liked to say, whenever gossip swept through _Voyager's_ ranks, "It's a small ship. No one can keep a secret here for long."

As _Voyager_ approached Wysanti, everyone heard the reason the ship's course had deviated from the relatively straight line towards the Alpha Quadrant it usually traveled. Word had come from the Antareans that Azan and Rebi were Wysanti. While their parents had been taken by the Borg and presumably had died on the "children's collective cube," the twins' maternal grandparents were very much alive and eager to have their grandsons returned to them. After Icheb's experience with his parents Yifay and Leucon, the captain and Seven were very careful to check out the grandparents' claim, to make sure they were, in fact, related to Azan and Rebi, and that no "ulterior motives" were present in their request for the twins' return.

"We have determined they are sincere," Seven told Icheb and Mezoti, after she spoke with the twins about their relatives. "Mazani, the grandmother, is an artist. Arebi, the grandfather, is a pilot, like Lieutenant Paris. He has retired from flying long distance trips, although he holds an official position with the Wysanti flight control facilities. He is a flight instructor as well. The captain and I have been unable to discover any reason for their desire to obtain custody of their grandsons, other than the love they feel for them. They thought they'd lost them forever, as they have lost their only child, Azan and Rebi's mother."

"It's curious their names are so similar to Azan and Rebi's," Mezoti noted.

"It is a tradition on Wysanti to honor the forebearers by naming an infant after one of the grandparents or other relatives. Since Azan and Rebi are twins, both of the mother's parents were honored by giving the children similar names. If the twins' parents had lived and produced two other children, they would have been named after the father's parents," Seven answered.

"Do the children remember their grandparents? Do they want to live with them?" Icheb asked.

"No, they don't remember them. You should remember the twins were in their maturation chambers longer than either of you. They were very small children when they were taken by the Borg. The grandparents were astonished to see how big they are now, when they viewed the images the captain sent to them." Seven paused before saying, "Mazani cried when she saw them. She said they looked so much like her daughter, lost to the Borg."

Icheb tamped down his dismay at this statement. Unless the parents failed to survive assimilation, he himself was the cause of their deaths. Seven looked quite calmly at him and thought, _/It doesn't matter how they died, Icheb. The Borg were at fault. Not you. You must always remember that./_

He nodded slightly. _/I know. It's just hard whenever I'm reminded of what happened./_

Aloud, he asked, "Seven, what about you? The twins are part of our family. Do you mind if they leave us and stay with the Wysanti?"

Seven glanced around the cargo bay that had become "Borg Central," their home. Finally, she said softly, "The twins have never been as close to the three of us as they have been to each other. They've always had their own 'family' - each other. The grandparents appear to be good people. They have no issue with Azan and Rebi's past life as assimilated Borg. I am certain they will do well living with their grandparents. I'm . . . content to have them stay with them."

After Seven left in response to the captain's request to speak with her in the Captain's Ready Room, Mezoti said to Icheb, "Seven didn't tell us the main reason. Now that the captain has discovered Azan and Rebi's family, she won't let them stay on _Voyager_. Captain Janeway always said she wanted to find our families and return us to them."

"That worked out so well for me, didn't it?" Icheb remarked bitterly.

"It's not going to work out for me at all. We know my family is all gone," Mezoti said. Icheb could not miss the sadness in her voice.

"The three of us have each other, Mezoti."

"Would Seven be willing to adopt us, the way Marla Gilmore is adopting Aimee?"

Icheb shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, but we're not babies. We can take care of ourselves because we're older. She's our guardian, not our mother, but you know she would never abandon us. Look how she insisted the captain go back for me when you pointed out Leucon's lies to her."

Mezoti fell silent, subvocally as well as verbally. Whenever that happened, a very bad feeling came over Icheb. He wished he could do something to relieve the pain he felt coming from her, even if she managed to block away her thoughts from him. Gently, Icheb but his arm around her shoulders and said, "Mezoti, we _are_ a family, officially adopted or not." Mezoti glanced up at him, but she still did not reply. Icheb was at a loss about what to say to her next.

They were still standing there in that position when Seven reentered their cargo bay. The expression on Seven's face was as icy as the temperature of space. "Children, please follow me. Captain Janeway wishes to speak with the two of you."

=/\=

After Icheb left the Captain's Ready Room, he walked up the ramp to Seven's bridge station and waited for her while she escorted Mezoti to the ready room to speak with the captain. When she returned, he murmured, "I told her I'm staying."

"As I anticipated," Seven said, just as softly. The tightness of her facial muscles relaxed slightly, and she breathed in and out deeply. Icheb perceived that while she thought he would respond to the captain's suggestion the way he did, Seven could not be sure until he confirmed it.

Now they both had to wait for Mezoti to return. Icheb had spent barely ten minutes with the captain. He expected to see Mezoti exit in a similar amount of time. When half an hour passed and Mezoti was still in the ready room, however, he became extremely uneasy. He tried to contact her subvocally, but Mezoti was adept at blocking any attempts to speak with her through their cortical arrays if she did not wish to communicate. He felt awkward just standing next to Seven, but he didn't want to leave the bridge.

Commander Chakotay, from his position in the command chair, said to Icheb, "Why don't you wait by the helm? I'm sure Mr. Paris will be happy to demonstrate the functions of _Voyager's_ controls." His voice was kind. Obviously, the commander was fully aware of the subject being discussed in the ready room. Icheb thanked him and walked down the ramp.

Lieutenant Paris looked up at Icheb and smiled knowingly. Did everyone on the bridge know what was going on? Icheb had the sinking feeling in his stomach that everyone did, but it would not be appropriate for him to say anything about it until after Mezoti announced her decision. Icheb listened as the helmsman explained how he set the ship's course and speed.

When Mezoti finally appeared on the bridge, Icheb nodded to her. There was no need to ask about her decision. He could see it by the expression on her face. His sister was going to leave him.

=/\=

"I'm sorry you're sad, Icheb. I think this is best. The captain says so, too."

They sat on the edge of the platform holding up the regeneration alcoves. Azan and Rebi were playing _Durotta_ in the far corner. Seven had buried herself in Astrometrics right after the three of them returned to "Borg Central." Mezoti would have to discuss her choice with Seven another time, assuming she even had to say anything to her. Icheb believed Seven realized what Mezoti would decide when she stayed so long with the captain.

"I'm sure the captain _would_ think it's best. She's always wanted us all off the ship," Icheb said acidly.

"That's not true, Icheb. She went back for you! She wants us to be safe, and she wants us to have a family. She explained how hard it was whenever any crew member was killed. She thinks of them all as members of the _Voyager_ family."

"And we're not, I suppose? That's not what she's been telling us ever since we got here."

Mezoti shook her head. "It's not that she doesn't want us. She doesn't think a starship in _Voyager's_ situation is a good place for children to grow up. It's different with Naomi. Samantha Wildman is her mother. And Marla Gilmore is adopting Aimee. But who will be our mother? Seven has never offered to adopt us."

"I think she would if we asked her to."

"Icheb, when the captain asked if I wanted to stay with the Wysanti, with my brothers Azan and Rebi, she told me that their grandmother Mazani really _wants_ to be my mother. She lost her only child to the Borg, and she wants to have a daughter again. I can live on a planet that has real insect-type bugs, not computer glitch bugs. The captain showed me images of scenery there. It's a very pretty place to live. I know there isn't any completely safe place in the galaxy, but there are safer places than starships traveling alone through the Delta Quadrant. And Mazani and Arebi _want_ me to live with them."

"I don't want to lose you, Mezoti," Icheb said, his voice shaking.

 _/I don't want to lose you either, Icheb. You could stay with Mazani and Arebi. The captain told me they want to adopt you, too./_

 _/I belong on_ Voyager _, Mezoti. I want to go to the Alpha Quadrant. I know this is the right place for me. Can you say you're sure the planet Wysanti - and staying with Azan and Rebi, who ignore you most of the time - is the right place for you?/_

 _/Captain Janeway was very sad when she spoke about the crew members who've lost their lives since their journey began. They're gone forever. I will miss you and Seven very much, but maybe we can still see each other again someday./_

 _/The Alpha Quadrant is a very long way from here, Mezoti. It will take us years to get there, and it would take many years to come back here. You can't count on seeing us again. It's like the decision Lehthea made about Aimee. She knew she was saying good-bye to her granddaughter forever. You need to understand this is probably forever for us, too./_

Mezoti's huge gray eyes stared into his for a long time. Finally, she said aloud, "I do understand, Icheb. I hope it isn't forever. But I know I want to grow up in a place where there is earth and plants and seas and sky. Not just interstellar space."

=/\=

When this particular piece of gossip was proven to be fact, many of _Voyager's_ residents were upset. Naomi came to Mezoti and begged her to stay. "You're my first real friend, Mezoti. I don't want you to leave." Naomi said her mother cried when she heard the news. "She says it reminds her of something that happened in the past, but she won't tell me what it is. It must have something to do with losing someone. Maybe it's because she's so far away from my dad."

Tom, B'Elanna, and Harry all came to see Mezoti. They didn't try to talk her into staying, but they did give her "parting gifts" to take with her to Wysanti. Tom had finally finished his "Junior Captain Proton" program. Since the Wysanti possessed holographic technology, Tom obtained the specifications so he could adapt it to work for them there.

The five former crew members of _Equinox_ came as a group, with Aimee, and told her they were sad she was leaving, too.

Neelix had a hard time even speaking with Mezoti when she went to the mess hall with Icheb to tell him of her decision. "I will miss the twins, of course," Neelix said, "but I'm going to miss you most of all. I don't know how I'd manage if you were going, too, Icheb."

When _Voyager_ went into orbit over Wysanti, Mazani and Arebi came on board to meet Mezoti and to become reacquainted with their grandsons, who had grown from small children into the early stage of adolescence in the two years and a half years since their assimilation. After the grandparents left, Icheb admitted to Seven, "They do seem nice, but my parents seemed nice, too, when they lied to you about how much they wanted me to live with them again."

"The captain and I conducted extensive research. The Wysanti do not have a history of Borg invasions. They don't have anything like the sophisticated genetic manipulation techniques of the Brunali. If we'd met them as soon after you came on board as we did your parents, I would've agreed to Mezoti's staying with them without hesitation. After all this time we've been together, however, it is difficult to accept that she is willing to leave us."

"At first I couldn't believe it, but Mezoti was very shaken by the Unimatrix Zero Borg attacks. And then the mutiny happened. I spoke with Tom about it in Sickbay one night, when the away team was recovering from becoming Borg. He said we probably _would_ be safer on a planet, even though planets aren't always safe, either. Mezoti is the reason we did that play. We hoped it would make her feel better."

Seven's eyes were sad, "I know. Lieutenant Paris came to me and asked for my permission before suggesting the play activity to everyone. It did help Mezoti for a while. Mezoti's assessment of Voyager's situation is accurate. Life on a ship can be dangerous, particularly here in the Delta Quadrant. I cannot fault the captain for telling Mezoti how badly she feels whenever a crewmember dies, because I know it's true. Everyone on _Voyager_ is Captain Janeway's responsibility. She hides it most of the time, but the loss of any life is a terrible burden to her. In a way, it's like losing a child. So I understand why she convinced Mezoti she would be better off with the Wysanti, even if I do not agree."

"I wish it could be different," Icheb said, wondering if he should tell Seven about Mezoti expressing the desire to be adopted, since her birth family was no more.

Seven's response stopped him from continuing that thought. "Mezoti wants to go. She's made her own decision as an individual. That's something I've tried to teach you all to do since you came on board. I will not stop her. It would be wrong of me to try."

"Maybe she will change her mind on her own," Icheb said hopefully.

Seven smiled slightly. "You know her as well as I do. Do you think that likely?"

Icheb sighed. "No, it isn't. But I'm not going to change _my_ mind, Seven. I'm staying here, on _Voyager_. I know this is where I belong."

=/\=

As the plans for the move of the twins and Mezoti to Wysanti were finalized, Icheb felt Mezoti was making a terrible mistake. The loneliness he'd felt in the past came back to haunt him, although he did his best to hide this from Seven and Mezoti. He suspected Mezoti was having second thoughts, too; but as she said nothing about it to him, he followed Seven's lead and didn't try to talk her into changing her mind.

Since the Wysanti do not "say good-bye" as other peoples do, on the day the three children were to leave _Voyager_ , Seven and Icheb traveled around the ship with Mezoti, Azan, and Rebi to say private good-byes with those they considered friends. The visit with Aimee and Marla Gilmore was difficult. Saying farewell to Naomi and Samantha Wildman was even harder on Mezoti. As they all traveled around the ship, it was clear to Icheb that the twins had never become particularly close to anyone on _Voyager_. They were their own family unit and hadn't really needed anyone else. It was different with Mezoti. She'd become a favorite of many of the crew, and just about everyone appeared grief-stricken because she was leaving.

At Lieutenant Torres's request, the group made one final stop in Engineering. They found themselves in the middle of a "Surprise Bon Voyage Party." Icheb recognized Tom's hand in it. They cosumed fizzy soda and cupcakes - sugary snacks Seven normally would not permit them to eat - and were given "party favors" to take with them as souvenirs.

By the time they left Engineering, Icheb was certain Mezoti was rethinking her choice. So many of the crew had become teary-eyed when they'd said good-bye to her, Mezoti couldn't help but notice; and her face became more solemn with each parting. Icheb wondered, could Mezoti change her mind and stay on _Voyager_ because of her doubts, or would she leave the ship as planned?

When they arrived in the transporter room, Mazani was there to bring them to Wysanti. She greeted them and thanked the captain for taking care of the children.

"We're just glad that Rebi and Azan will have a chance to grow up with their own people - and that you've been kind enough to let Mezoti join them," Captain Janeway replied.

Mezoti approached Icheb. "You can still come with us," she said aloud. _/Icheb, I'm afraid. Maybe I'm making a mistake leaving_ Voyager _./_

"And you can still stay on _Voyager_ ," he answered. _/Please stay./_

Adapting to your absence will be difficult." _/They've been good to me, Icheb. I said I would live with them. If I could stay with you and still live on Wysanti, I would. But I know I can't, and it's too late to change my mind now./_

Although he felt his heart thrum so loudly in his chest he was sure everyone could hear it beating, Icheb replied, "I'll miss you, too." He smiled at her slightly, blocking out the thought of what he was tempted to do - to become as teary-eyed as Ensign Lang at the Ops station when they'd visited the bridge.

Mezoti and Seven exchanged a few words, but Icheb was concentrating so hard at "staying positive," he didn't hear all of them. It was something about her studies of the Wysanti culture. Mezoti stepped up onto the transporter platform, but suddenly she dropped her luggage, ran off the platform, and embraced Seven. Icheb heard that subvocal exchange without any trouble at all: _/I'll never forget you Seven. Please don't ever forget me. Visit me if you're ever back this way!/_

 _/I could never forget you, Mezoti. And of course I will visit . . . if I'm ever back this way./_

 _/I will visit if I ever can, too, Mezoti,/_ Icheb sent to her.

When Azan and Rebi both ran to Seven to give her hugs, too, Mezoti gazed over at Icheb. _/I'll miss you, Icheb./_ There was such brittleness to her thoughts, Icheb held onto the hope, for just a moment more, that Mezoti would change her mind and remain on _Voyager_.

The four on the transporter pad shimmered away. That last hope died in his still racing heart. Mezoti was gone.

=/\=


	29. Responding to Loss

=/\=

Icheb kept a tight rein on his thoughts as he walked with Seven down the corridor, away from the transporter room. Away from Mezoti.

Several crew members passed without saying anything to them, but when Crewman Marla Gilmore came near, she stopped and said, "Icheb, I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am. It must be very difficult for you to lose your brothers and sister. Please feel free to visit Aimee and me whenever you have the chance." Marla hesitated, then addressed Seven. "As long as it's okay with you, of course. You can also come, if you like. We'd love to see both of you."

"He may visit you if he wishes. He has ties with your daughter as well as with . . . the others."

Icheb responded with a simple thank you. What he wanted to say was, "I will miss Azan and Rebi, but I will miss Mezoti more." He looked over at Seven, wondering if she had caught his confession subvocally. All she did was nod, but he still believed Seven felt the same as he did.

After an awkward silence, Marla said, "I have to get to my station now. See you soon, Icheb. Seven." As Marla rushed down the corridor, Icheb could hear her sobbing. Icheb concluded the Wysanti might have good reasons for not wishing to say good-bye.

Icheb and Seven paced down the corridor for another minute before Seven stated, "We should deactivate the children's alcoves."

"Right now?" Icheb could not hide his shock.

"They're a drain on _Voyager's_ power reserves." When Icheb stopped walking, she turned to him and said, "Is there a problem?'

Icheb had a little trouble putting his thoughts into words at first, but he finally said, "It just seems like an insufficient amount of time has passed."

To his surprise, Seven stated calmly, "You're having an emotional response to the children's departure. They'll be fine. We should be happy for them."

Icheb stared at Seven. Her cold comment was completely counter to everything they'd said to each other before the children left, when they'd confessed they couldn't believe Mezoti would actually choose to leave them. What he saw convinced him that her words did not her true feelings.

"Seven. You're crying."

"My ocular implant must be malfunctioning," she mumbled. "I must go to Sickbay to consult with the Doctor."

Icheb did not believe she was telling him the truth, but when he tried to contact her subvocally, he received no response.

=/\=

Icheb was due to go back to Astrometrics to complete several analytical tasks he had yet to finish, even though Seven had assigned them to him days ago; but he found himself returning to Cargo Bay 2. The name "Borg Central" hardly fit anymore, since only two of those who had been Borg still lived there. He wondered if he should shut power to the extra alcoves as Seven had suggested, but what he'd said to her was true. It was too soon to shut them down. Mezoti had been gone for less than an hour. What if she contacted them, saying she'd changed her mind and wished to return?

When he entered the bay, he was aware of how large and empty it was compared to the rest of the ship. Many crates of non-perishable foodstuffs, raw materials gathered by away teams, boxes of spare parts, and empty storage containers were stored here, but this also had been home to Icheb ever since he'd come to live on _Voyager_. Without the other three children, Icheb thought of himself as just another "thing" stored here.

As he surveyed the room, he became aware of a soft sound emanating from one of the regeneration alcoves. At first, when he approached the platform, he was momentarily struck by the hope that somehow, Mezoti had decided to return and was waiting for him. He pushed that thought away, however, when he finally glimpsed the visitor. She _was_ an immature female, but her hair was light red, not honey-colored, like Mezoti's.

"Naomi Wildman, why are you here?"

She stood up and faced him. He could see she had been crying, but she pulled herself together and said, "I'm sorry, Icheb. I didn't mean to disturb you. I just . . . wanted to remember what it was like. Before they left."

Icheb sat on the edge of the platform, the way he had so many times when communicating with Mezoti, either verbally or subvocally. He waved his hand, inviting Naomi to sit down next to him. After a brief hesitation, she did as he'd asked. Once she sat down, he noticed Naomi was carrying her Flotter doll. She shrugged a little when she saw him look at it. Smiling sadly, she said, "I guess I'm back to having holodeck friends and dolls to play with."

"I'm still here."

"You're almost a grown-up, Icheb."

"I find enjoyment in Kadis-Kot and Durotta competitions. I wouldn't mind going to the holodeck to visit Fair Haven to have soda and play a game of darts - as long as Michael Sullivan will let me into his pub. Sandrine doesn't want me in her tavern unless Harry, Tom, or Seven are with me. I'd like to see what Lieutenant Paris's new 'Junior Captain Proton' program is like sometime, too."

"You'd probably have more fun with Harry and Tom in the regular Captain Proton program."

"I don't believe Lieutenant Paris made that many changes in it when he created this new version. Seven and Lieutenant Torres both say it's 'pretty juvenile' just the way it is."

Naomi giggled. "I think they only changed the costumes on some of the female characters so they wouldn't accidentally fall off. Mom says a lot of them are pretty skimpy." Naomi gave her Flotter doll a sad little hug. "I'm getting a little old for Trevis and Flotter. I've done every episode more than once. When I was the only child on _Voyager_ , it was my way of having friends." She sighed. "It will be a while before Aimee can do them with me. Mezoti was a little old for Flotter, too, but since she didn't remember experiencing anything like it from before she was assimilated, I had fun showing the program to her, and she seemed to enjoy it."

"I hope to be studying for the Starfleet Entrance Exams soon, but sometimes I'll want 'fun to commence' with someone close to my age. Maybe not Trevis and Flotter, though."

"That was a funny day, wasn't it? I'm surprised Seven didn't schedule you when to _breathe_ when you first came on board." Naomi suddenly stopped, as if she had just heard what Icheb had said, and changed the subject. "You want to apply for Starfleet? So do I!"

"I know. Mezoti told me."

Naomi sighed again and looked around the cargo bay. "I miss my friend."

"I miss her, too, Naomi. I think I always will."

"I guess I'd better go to see Crewman Lessing. He said he has a xenobiology lesson for me today. Something else to remind me of Mezoti." Naomi sadly shook her head. "I still can't believe it."

"Neither can I, Naomi." Icheb spoke so softly, he wasn't certain Naomi heard him, but when he looked at her, he could see she had, from the compassion he saw on her face. He looked around at the four alcoves humming away behind them. He again thought about doing as Seven suggested, but then decided against it. If Seven wanted to conserve power by shutting off all but two of the alcoves, she'd just have to do it herself.

=/\=

Icheb should have been working on the tasks he'd been unable to finish because of the past few days, but he was still too distracted to concentrate. Instead, he reviewed the instructions for applicants to the Academy and waited for Seven to appear. He'd delayed asking her about getting permission to apply long enough. Almost as soon as she walked into Astrometrics, after her trip to Sickbay for the EMH to check her ocular implant, Icheb said, "I've been thinking. While I'm grateful for the opportunity to assist you in Astrometrics, I'd like to take on more challenging assignments."

"I can assign you additional diagnostics."

"That's not what I meant. I want to work on the bridge."

"You don't have the proper training."

"That's why I'd like to take the entrance exam for Starfleet Academy. I could forward it to Earth in the next datastream transmission. If I pass, I could take the basic classes from Commander Tuvok. He was an instructor at the Academy."

"Your plan is ambitious."

"Then you think it's a good idea?"

Seven nodded to show her approval. Icheb immediately felt much better. This had been much easier to talk about than he'd expected. He shouldn't have waited so long to bring it up. Then another idea struck him. "Seven, you could take the classes with me. Earn your own commission."

She answered him with a slight edge in her voice. "I believe I've already assimilated enough Starfleet training."

Icheb was disappointed, but he let it pass. "I'll need a letter of recommendation from the Captain."

"I'll speak to her." Seven turned to her console, activating a sensor sweep of the sector ahead of _Voyager's_ planned course. Satisfied, Icheb went back to his neglected assignments.

If he had been a little slower turning away from her, Icheb might have noticed when Seven grabbed her hand to hide the place where her skin had split apart, revealing her metallic endoskeleton. Instead of working on her sensor sweep, Seven casually said, "I have work to complete in the cargo bay. Can you finish here?"

Even though it was highly unusual, not to mention inefficient, for Seven to come into Astrometrics and then leave immediately to perform another task - unless she was asked to do so by the captain or Commander Chakotay - Icheb answered in the affirmative. Now that Seven was willing to request the recommendation from Captain Janeway, Icheb was sure he could concentrate fully on the tasks he hadn't yet completed. From now on, he told himself, he was going to be as efficient as he could, to prove his worthiness for Starfleet.

He had no idea how difficult that promise would prove to be, thanks to a series of events no one had anticipated, particularly his guardian, Seven of Nine.

=/\=


	30. Medical Crisis

=/\=

The next morning, Icheb passed by Captain Janeway, Commander Tuvok, and Lieutenant Paris as they strode quickly down the corridor towards the turbolift. From the weapons and equipment they were carrying, he could tell they were going on an away mission. Since there was no way for him to know how long they'd be gone, Icheb felt an emotional reaction when he saw them. Seven hadn't regenerated in her alcove overnight. He hadn't had a chance to ask her if Captain Janeway had agreed to provide Icheb the letter of recommendation he needed. Rather than wait for the captain to return, Icheb decided to find out now. Adjusting his steps to walk beside the captain, he asked her, "Have you talked to Seven?"

"Just a few minutes ago."

Icheb waited for several seconds, expecting she would tell him that she'd have a letter of recommendation ready to send in the next datastream, but the captain said nothing more. Icheb noticed that "butterfly in the stomach" feeling he'd had once before. All the butterflies seemed to plummet down towards his feet. Crestfallen, Icheb stated flatly, "And you don't approve."

Captain Janeway turned her head towards him. "Approve of what?" she asked.

Icheb responded, "My request."

"Request?" From the puzzled way the captain looked at him, Icheb realized she had no idea what he was talking about. Uncharacteristically, Seven must have failed to do what she had promised.

Icheb felt his face flush in embarrassment. "I'm sure Seven will discuss it with you when she has the chance. I'm sorry I bothered you."

He began to turn away, but the captain grabbed him by the arm. "Obviously, no one's told you."

"Told me what?"

"Seven isn't well."

"What's wrong with her?"

"Her cortical node is failing."

The butterflies in his stomach turned to huge lumps of lead as the captain's words sunk into his brain. "Her cortical node? She's going to die!"

Captain Janeway patted his arms to reassure him. "Not if we find a new node. We're on our way to search a Borg debris field."

While the captain turned to Commander Tuvok and Lieutenant Paris to tell them to go on ahead, that she would meet them by the _Flyer_ , Icheb tried to get over his shock at the captain's revelation. By now, though, he'd learned that taking action was better than sitting around and worrying. As soon as the captain turned her attention back to Icheb, he pleaded, "I have experience in Borg technology. Let me come with you."

"I appreciate the offer, but it's too dangerous," the captain answered kindly.

"I'm willing to take the risk."

Captain Janeway sighed. "I'm not willing to let you. I'll let you know how we did as soon as we're back. Don't worry." She patted him on the arm again before turning away at the corridor junction, to follow the rest of her away team to the shuttlebay. She left Icheb to stand alone in the middle of the corridor, consumed by very unwelcome thoughts. How could he _not_ worry? Was Seven about to leave him now, too? There was only one way to find out how serious the problem was. He had to see Seven in Sickbay and speak with her.

=/\=

Icheb's visit to Seven in Sickbay turned out to be even more unsatisfactory than his discussion in the corridor with Captain Janeway had been. Almost as soon as she saw him, Seven became belligerent. She didn't even want to speak with him and ordered him to go back to Astrometrics to finish his assignments.

"I've already finished my work," he responded quickly. Instead of expressing approval, Seven became even more angry. The EMH intervened, asking a very perplexed Icheb to come into the Doctor's office for a "little discussion."

The Doctor patiently explained, "She's not angry with you, Icheb. She's just angry. It's a common response to serious illness. She's frustrated to be confined; embarrassed to appear vulnerable."

"She shouldn't be embarrassed in front of me," Icheb said. "I'm her friend."

"And her pupil. She doesn't want you or anyone else to see her when she's not at her best."

"It's not her fault that she's sick."

"Of course not, but we have to allow her to deal with this in her own way, with as much dignity as possible. Give her time. She may decide she wants company, and if she does you're the first person I'll call."

Icheb looked back at Seven. Vulnerable and embarrassed. Yes, he could see that might be what she was feeling. He felt more than a little sick himself - not to mention helpless. The expression on the EMH's face was and was not particularly comforting, either. With the EMH's mouth contorted into a tight line, Icheb could see how worried he was. Seven's situation must be very precarious. If there was only something he could do! He was willing, but no one seemed to want Icheb's help.

A very dejected young man walked out of Sickbay. He couldn't help thinking he might have been better off staying with the twins and Mezoti on Wysanti. Mezoti was right. Bad things happen on a ship. If the one who has cared for you, who has helped you learn to be an individual, should die prematurely - well, things couldn't get much worse than that.

=/\=

Since Seven had made it abundantly clear she didn't want him to visit her, Icheb escaped to her haven in Astrometrics. Although others used the equipment here, this had always been Seven's sanctuary. She once told Icheb that working here had been the primary way she comforted herself whenever the stress of interacting with her crewmates threatened to overwhelm her ability to function as an individual. If it had helped her when she was the only Borg on board, this would be the best place for Icheb right now. Should Commander Chakotay request data that could be obtained in Astrometrics, Icheb would be there to provide it. Since he knew the equipment almost as well as Seven did, he was an appropriate replacement for her. He took no pleasure in recognizing this fact. Although Megan and Jenny Delaney often manned this station, their domain was Stellar Cartography. Astrometrics was Seven's, and now Icheb's.

As soon as he arrived, Icheb checked to see if the command team on the bridge had asked him to investigate anything. With the captain and the away team off the ship, however, _Voyager_ was maintaining a very slow pace until their return. They apparently had all the data they needed on the bridge; there was nothing Icheb could do for them at present. Rather than stand around and do nothing, he looked up the flight plan Lieutenant Paris had filed for the _Delta Flyer II._

The away team was headed for a Borg debris field which _Voyager_ had passed several days before, while traveling to Wysanti. He'd helped Seven investigate the debris, since the captain was reluctant to leave Mezoti and the twins anywhere near a Borg transwarp tunnel. The captain didn't want to put the children in the path of the Borg, to suffer anything like Icheb's experience on Brunal.

From the meager remnants of the cube's ion trail, Seven and Icheb determined the vessel's path had brought it nowhere near Wysanti. Its trajectory was taking it away from the planet when cube exploded. Why it did so was puzzling at first, for Seven and Icheb could not detect the residue of weapons fire or equipment failure. They also could not find any evidence Borg ships had attempted to retrieve technology or injured drones from the sections of the cube which had survived relatively intact. None of the vessel's structure or contents appeared to be missing; the mass of the debris field was consistent with what one would expect for that type of vessel.

The timing of the vessel's destruction was curious, however, since it occurred at the time _Voyager_ was involved with the Queen during the Unimatrix Zero action. Icheb had visited with Lieutenant Torres one evening while she was recuperating in Sickbay. She'd told him the Borg Queen had ordered several vessels to self-destruct, simply because she detected Unimatrix Zero drones aboard those ships. Could this be one of them? When Icheb shared this observation with Seven, she told him their findings were consistent with the carrying out of such an order.

Since it had been destroyed weeks ago, Icheb was pessimistic the away team would be successful in finding a viable cortical node from a dead drone. While it was likely the away team would be able to locate a corpse, transferring its node into Seven wouldn't work. The drones would have been dead too long for the procedure to succeed.

Icheb knew the Borg possessed the capacity to manufacture new cortical nodes to replace malfunctioning ones, but once a drone died, that very intricate and delicate part died very shortly afterwards. The Borg never retrieved that particular part from a corpse. When a drone's node began to fail, the afflicted drone would die if no replacement nodes were available, or if insertion of a replacement could not be accomplished promptly enough. Since removing a node from a living drone amounted to a death sentence for that Borg, Icheb could not imagine the Doctor performing such a procedure to save Seven's life.

If only they could manufacture new cortical nodes on _Voyager_! Icheb thought about speaking with Lieutenant Torres and Ensign Kim about this. Could they put one together for Seven? He quickly dismissed this idea. Lieutenant Torres and Ensign Kim were extremely capable and efficient, but they could not possibly recreate the technology in time to save Seven. Even if the away team was lucky enough to find a cache of replacement cortical nodes in the debris, those "spares" wouldn't work if they'd been stored for more than a few days without an active power source to maintain them. What was needed was a cortical node from a living drone; one who would be willing to sacrifice his life for Seven. He'd offer his, but he knew Seven would never accept it, if it meant Icheb would lose his life in exchange for hers.

Icheb thought long and hard about the options available to the Doctor. Little Aimee's cortical node had been removed by the Doctor because it was imperfectly formed. While that part might still be on _Voyager_ (in fact, he was sure it was), it wasn't operational. Even if it had formed completely and correctly, it had been stored for too long without power. The only functional node available was in his head. His was the only option, and the more he thought about it, the more sense it made for him to give it to Seven.

Aimee had survived after hers had been removed. She hadn't been completely assimilated, since she hadn't been in the maturation chamber long enough for her implants and Borg technology to become integral to her body's functioning. When Seven first met him, she'd told Icheb he hadn't been completely assimilated and needed to return to his maturation chamber, too, something he'd already tried but could not accomplish because of the chamber's inability to function properly. Since he hadn't been in his chamber for very long, the Doctor had been able to remove many more of his implants than he had from the twins. Azan and Rebi had been developing in their maturation chambers for over two years. As a result, both of them needed to regenerate for an one extra hour each day than Icheb and Mezoti.

What if even more of the changes made to his body when the Borg tried to assimilate him could be undone? Would he still require a cortical node?

Moving over to the console Icheb habitually used whenever he worked in Sickbay, Icheb called up his own genome and examined it carefully. He already knew what his individual genes did. By comparing their functions to what the Borg implants did for his body, he came to a startling conclusion. If his hypothesis proved to be accurate, there was one implant he would not need.

His cortical node.

=/\=

When Lieutenant Paris entered Astrometrics, Icheb was still working on the specific alterations to his genome which would allow him to donate his cortical implant to Seven. As he saved his work and shut down his console, Icheb said, "I heard you were back. Were your efforts successful? Did you find a cortical node for Seven?"

When Icheb turned away from his console to face the helmsman, he didn't need to hear Tom's answer. From the look on his face, Icheb could see the mission had not been a success.

"We found one that seemed perfect. As soon as we got back, the Doc, the captain and I ran holodeck simulations to make sure we knew how to proceed. We stopped after the twelfth simulation failed - just like all the others had. I told the captain I didn't think thirteen would be our lucky number."

"That's what I expected," Icheb said with a frown. "The salvaged node has been inactive for too long."

"That's exactly what the Doctor said. Icheb, are you telepathic?"

"Only with Seven . . . and Mezoti." Icheb turned his head away for a moment. When he turned back to Tom, who was looking at him sympathetically, Icheb asked, "What treatment will the Doctor try next?"

"Harry and B'Elanna are working on the node we brought back with us, to see if they can get it to work. They raided one of your regeneration alcoves for parts, and they've got the implants the Doc removed from B'Elanna, the captain, and Tuvok from their assimilations. And they have Aimee's immature node, too. They're hoping they can produce at least one functional node out of all of those parts."

Icheb sighed and shook his head. "The technology is very complex. The Borg have specialized drones who know how to manufacture the spares used on Borg vessels, but it's not part of the knowledge of a general drone like me. I've tried to access the data, but it's not included in my memories. I asked Seven about it yesterday. She says she can't recall the procedures either. We were supposed to be 'one collective,' but apparently there are some things the Queen and her medical drones keep to themselves."

"That's the way of the Universe, Icheb. Better get used to it."

"Thank you for coming to tell me this, Tom."

"I wish I had better news for you." Tom began to walk away, but then he stopped and turned back to Icheb. "Oops. I almost forgot. The Doc won't let Seven leave Sickbay, but she's driving him nuts because she won't just lie there and do nothing. He wants you to bring her some tasks she can take care of in Sickbay. Something to keep her busy."

"Of course. I'll put some together right now. I can bring them to Sickbay within the hour. Will that be soon enough?"

Tom smiled. "Ten minutes might not be soon enough from the Doctor's point of view, but if it takes an hour, or even two, that's how long it takes! Thanks, Icheb." The lieutenant reached out and gently patted Icheb on the shoulder. "We're doing all we can to help her. Like Neelix always says, 'let's stay positive.'"

"I will." Icheb hesitated. Should he tell the field medic he was working on a fallback plan of his own? He quickly dismissed the thought. Staying positive was one thing. Bringing hope that turned out to be false was quite another. As the helmsman was leaving, all Icheb said to him was, "Good-bye, Tom."

=/\=

When Icheb entered Sickbay, he was surprised to find it deserted. No Seven. No Doctor. He called out for the EMH, but when there was no answer, he said, "Computer, locate the Doctor.

The computer's response was: _:::The EMH is off-line.:::_

"Activate the EMH," Icheb ordered.

When the Doctor appeared, he was waving his finger in Icheb's direction and said, ". . . forced to sedate you!"

"Doctor?"

"I'm sorry, Icheb. I wasn't talking to you."

"Where's Seven?"

"I wish I knew. When I refused to release her she overrode my autonomy protocols. In the middle of a sentence, no less!" he stormed indignantly.

Icheb said, "Computer, locate Seven of Nine."

 _:::Seven of Nine is in Sickbay.:::_

At the same moment, both Icheb and the Doctor saw Seven's combadge sitting on top of one of the medical terminals.

Icheb and the Doctor looked at each other. The Doctor's sigh was much more audible than Icheb's.

"Now what?" Icheb asked.

"We'll have to search for her the way people did prior to sophisticated communication technology. We'll call around the ship and find out who's seen her last."

After contacting several members of the crew in various departments of _Voyager_ , the EMH reached Ensign Vorik, who turned out to be very helpful. After terminating their conversation, the Doctor groused, "I might have known our chief engineer would be the one harboring the fugitive. As they always say, difficult patients flock together."

"I thought that referred to birds with the same type of feathers," Icheb observed.

"It doesn't matter how they're worded: all aphorisms actually refer to people, Icheb. Leave the work you brought for our escapee on my desk. I'll get down there and retrieve Seven before her activities cause further deterioration in . . . " The EMH stopped speaking suddenly and looked at Icheb. Sighing, the Doctor told him, "I'll get her back up here before any real damage is done, Icheb. Go on back to Astrometrics. I'll call you if there's anything more you can do."

=/\=


	31. Treatment Plan

=/\=

The lighting in Astrometrics was set very low. For certain tasks, such as examining a nebula to determine its composition, Icheb preferred to keep it that way. He heard, rather than saw, someone come into the room. He asked, "Are you feeling better?"

"My condition is unchanged." Seven walked nearer to his position and continued, "I've spoken to the Captain about your desire to apply to Starfleet Academy. She's agreed to administer the entrance exam before we send the next datastream to Earth." Handing him a PADD, she explained, "It's a list of crewmen who can help you study. Lieutenant Torres is extremely well-versed in warp mechanics. Ensign Kim claims to have 'aced' the quantum theory section."

"What about Astrometrics?"

"You know more about Astrometrics than most Starfleet officers."

"Still, I'll need someone to review the material with me."

Seven considered his request momentarily before answering him. "I'll ask Lieutenant Paris to set aside some time."

"I'd rather study with you."

Seven turned away from him. Sadly, she said, "You've become too dependent on me. You must learn to rely on others."

Icheb refused to accept this prevarication. He already spent time with others, including Tom Paris and Ensign Kim. Seven sometimes complained he spent too _much_ time with them. "And if I don't want to?"

"What you want is irrelevant," Seven said, falling back upon the tried and true catch phrase, long her primary means of refuting another's position whenever they disagreed with her.

Desperately, Icheb asked, "Why are you acting like this? Is it because you think you're dying?"

"I _am_ dying."

Angrily, Icheb threw back, " _You_ may have given up. But I haven't." He rushed out of the door, leaving her to stand there, as isolated and alone as she expected him to be once her node finally ceased to operate at all.

=/\=

Several hours later, when Icheb returned to Astrometrics, no one was there. He was not surprised. During Gamma shift, one person typically covered both Stellar Cartography and Astrometrics. Unless specific data was needed that could only be gained here, Astrometrics was usually empty. Icheb had counted on this.

Turning on his console, he worked for more than an hour on genetic manipulation strategies. He'd thought he was getting close to discovering an answer to his problem earlier in the day, when Seven interrupted him. Now, he realized he'd been right. The last piece of the puzzle fell into place. It was time to see the Doctor, whether Seven wanted him in Sickbay, or not.

=/\=

When Icheb reached Sickbay, Seven was absent, although the Doctor was there, working on his own treatment strageties. Rather than waste time asking about Seven's current location, Icheb confronted the EMH. "I know how to save her."

The Doctor didn't seem very impressed. "I'm certainly open to suggestions."

"I've been analyzing the simulations you performed. They failed because you tried to implement a cortical node from a dead drone."

"That's correct."

"What you require is a live drone."

"I've already been _through_ that with Captain Janeway!" the Doctor responded brusquely, irritated by the repetition of this particular suggestion.

Icheb refused to be deterred. "My cortical node is operational. I want you to remove it and give it to Seven."

"Absolutely not!" This time, his response was explosively angry.

"At least review my research," Icheb begged the Doctor.

"It may as well be a suicide note!"

Icheb held back his own emotional response to the Doctor's assertion and stated, "I don't agree."

"Well, that's comforting," the Doctor sarcastically replied.

Icheb held out the PADD into which he'd copied all of his research materials. "You took these scans of me when I left the Collective. By your own estimation, I emerged from my maturation chamber before I was fully assimilated. As a result, my physiology is less dependent on my implants."

"They still regulate many of your vital functions," the Doctor reminded him.

"What about my age? I'm younger, so it should be easier for my body to adapt to the loss."

"You're obviously too young to understand the risks involved," the Doctor sniffed dismissively.

"I understand the risks perfectly. If we continue to do nothing, Seven will die."

"And if we proceed with your idea, you could both die!"

"According to my research, there's an 86.9% chance that Seven's implants will adapt to my node."

The Doctor did not expect such a result. "Eighty-six . . ."

". . . Point nine!" Icheb clarified.

As the Doctor accepted the PADD from Icheb, he asked, "And what about you? Without a cortical node, how will you regulate your implants?"

"You should be able to compensate with genetic resequencing. This isn't suicide, Doctor. I believe it can work, and all I ask is that you consider it." Icheb held out another PADD, which outlined the alterations the Doctor would need to make to Icheb's genome for his plan to succeed. This time, the Doctor accepted Icheb's PADD without further comment.

=/\=

The next morning, when the Doctor contacted Icheb and asked him to come to a meeting with the captain, Icheb sensed something which wasn't precisely an emotion, but felt much the same: vindication. The Doctor must have determined his plan was viable. Controlling his excitement, Icheb left Astrometrics in Ensign Jenny Delaney's capable hands and proceeded immediately to the Conference Room.

When he arrived, the captain and the EMH were already seated at the table. Seven was also there, her face a frozen mask. The Doctor proceeded to explain Icheb's proposed procedure to both of them, with only minimal input from Icheb. He was pleased by how enthused the Doctor appeared to be.

At the end of the proposal, the captain commented, "It would be a complicated procedure."

"No doubt."

"But you believe it'll work."

The Doctor admitted, "There are significant risks involved . . . to Seven and to Icheb, but if you're asking me if it's possible, I'd have to say yes."

The captain seemed to be willing to consider it, too, Icheb thought, when she asked "What sort of precautions . . . ?"

Coldly, Seven interrupted Captain Janeway, "No matter how many precautions you take, it's not worth the risk to Icheb."

Icheb turned to face her. "Seven, this could work."

"I'm not willing to extend my life at the cost of yours."

"But you haven't reviewed all the data."

"As long as there is _any_ chance you won't survive, the data is irrelevant. I'd like to return to Sickbay now."

The Doctor appeared to be disappointed as he said softly, "As you wish."

As soon as Seven and the Doctor had exited the Conference Room, Icheb turned to Captain Janeway. "You're the Captain. You could order her to do it."

"I have to respect her wishes," she said sadly.

"Even if it kills her?"

"I want to help her just as much as you do."

Rudely, Icheb retorted, "If that were true, you wouldn't let her die."

=/\=

 _:::Icheb to Captain Janeway. Report to cargo bay two immediately.:::_

 _=/\=_

 _:::Icheb to the Doctor. Report to cargo bay two immediately.:::_

=/\=

When the Doctor and the captain arrived in Cargo Bay Two, in response to Icheb's imperious summons, they found him hunched over in his regeneration alcove, sweating profusely. As they ran over to him, the captain called out desperately, "Icheb!"

Within seconds, the Doctor was able to explain Icheb's condition to her. "He's disengaged his cortical node!"

"How?" the captain demanded from Icheb.

Shaking even more, Icheb stuttered out, "My alcove . . . I programmed it to disconnect . . . my neural relays."

Turning to the Doctor, the captain quickly asked, "Can you reconnect them?"

The Doctor shook his head. "He's locked me out of the controls."

Turning back to Icheb, Janeway asked, "How could you do this?"

When he could speak between convulsions, he told her, "It was the only way . . . I could prove to you . . . it would work."

=/\=

When Seven saw the Doctor, the captain, and Icheb beam into Sickbay, she jumped off her biobed and ran to them. "What's wrong with him?"

"Icheb decided to perform a little operation on himself," the captain explained.

"You have to reconnect his node immediately!" Seven demanded.

"I intend to," the Doctor replied briskly.

"No! If Seven can refuse treatment . . . so can I!"

"We don't have time for this!" the Doctor said, his frustration over the impasse evident to all.

"Well, then, check your scans," Icheb said. "I'm already adapting."

After checking Icheb's condition with his medical tricorder, the Doctor said, "Some of your implants have adapted, but not all."

"Apply the resequencing technique I researched."

Seven interjected, "This debate is pointless. I won't accept the node."

Angrily, Icheb shot back, "And I won't keep it!"

The Doctor had reached the limit of his patience. "Someone had better use the damn thing! If it stays disconnected much longer, it won't do either of you any good."

Seven said to Icheb, "You're acting like a child."

"I'm trying to save your life."

"Only because you've grown too dependent on me."

"You think _I_ need to learn to rely on other people? What about you? You've refused to rely on a single member of this crew. You hid your condition from the rest of us. You deactivated the Doctor, and now you're rejecting my help. _You're_ the one who needs to rely on others. Isn't that what people on this ship do? They help each other?"

Quietly, Captain Janeway agreed, "Whenever we can."

Painfully, Icheb said to Seven, "If the Captain were dying, you'd risk your life to save her, wouldn't you?" Turning to the captain, Icheb added, "And when you respond to a distress call, you're risking the life of everyone on this ship to respond to the aid of strangers."

Janeway was forced to admit Icheb was right.

"Captain, he's just a child," Seven argued.

After a moment's pause while she considered her answer, the captain countered, "I don't think he is. Not anymore."

"Doctor!" Seven cried out, expecting him to support her position, but she did not get the response she expected.

The Doctor softly said, "Don't look at me."

Weakly, Icheb pleaded with Seven once again, "Please. Just let us help you."

=/\=


	32. Post-Operative Conversations

=/\=

When Icheb regained consciousness in Sickbay, after the transfer operation, the first thing he thought of was that he would no longer be able to communicate with Seven subvocally. From now on, they would always need to speak verbally. He deeply felt the loss of this quick, efficient method of communication, which no one else on _Voyager_ could overhear.

His second thought was even more upsetting. The loss of his cortical node could mean he might be unable to access all the knowledge he'd gained from being Borg. That would be a far more devastating result than the need to use verbal communication with Seven. He already had to do that with everyone else on _Voyager_. The more he thought about both concepts, the more agitated he became. The Doctor noticed Icheb's thrashing on his biobed and administered a sedative, "It's to help you relax, Icheb," he assured him.

The next time he woke up, Mr. Paris was in charge of Sickbay. Icheb admitted his fears to Tom.

"I'm sure you won't be able to communicate subvocally with Seven any more, but that doesn't mean every ability you received from the Borg is gone. Most of your cortical array is intact. It must do something for you. If you're that worried about what you may have lost, we can administer some mental assessments to you when you feel up to it, to find out what losses you might have suffered - if any."

"I feel up to it now," Icheb maintained, although from Tom's expression, he suspected the field medic was skeptical about Icheb's ability to perform any mental gymnastics. Icheb could barely speak.

"I'm not so sure about that, but there's a brief assessment I can try with you first. If I notice any significant signs you've lost many of your memories, we can give you more detailed testing once you're feeling better."

Icheb agreed to this plan. Tom asked him twenty questions, each progressively more complicated than the last. When he was finished, Tom said, "I can't find any major deficits in your cognitive functioning, Icheb. I'll let the Doctor know about your concerns, though. He'll want to investigate further, I'm sure. But until then, what you need the most is rest." Tom walked away from Icheb at that point, to reinforce his opinion about Icheb's primary need.

Once he was alone, Icheb ruminated for a while about what Tom had said. Sleepily, he evaluated the part of his memory that originated from the Collective. He didn't detect any loss, either. Borg knowledge and memories must be spread throughout the cortical array, and maybe within his biological Brunali brain, too. Since only the node had been removed, his remaining cybernetic system must be able to retrieve what he'd learned. Comforted by this thought, Icheb drifted into sleep.

=/\=

When Icheb woke up again, he took in as much of Sickbay as he could from a prone position on his biobed. Tom was still on duty. There was no sign of Seven or the Doctor.

"Tom," Icheb whispered. "Where is Seven? Is she okay?"

"She's doing great, Icheb. The Doctor brought her to 'Borg Central' and is supervising her recovery there," Tom answered, smiling down on Icheb. "She's been regenerating for a day and a half already. Doc says he expects it will be a few more days before she comes out of it, but he's confident of a full recovery."

Icheb put his head back and smiled up at the holoemitter-equipped ceiling. He felt a flood of emotion wash over him, so much stronger than anything he'd felt before. Relief was a major component, but there was another he didn't recall ever feeling previously. He tried to put a name to it, but he didn't have a word to describe it. He'd seen others have it before, of course. At Tom and B'Elanna's wedding, he'd seen their faces glow with an emotion that might be the same one he felt now.

"Tom, after the captain announced you were man and wife, what emotion did you feel?"

"Joy, happiness - relief we'd survived long enough to finally promise to spend our lives together - not to mention overwhelming feelings of love!" Tom's smile shone almost as brightly as it did on that day, as he remembered how he'd felt. "Why do you ask?" he inquired, when he looked down at his patient again.

"I'm feeling so many emotions right now. I can't put a name to all of them yet. One is relief, but I thought there were better words to describe the others."

"You know, one of the parts in that cortical node of yours was an emotion inhibitor. The Doc says the Borg don't want any wild swings of emotions from drones, so they put that in to keep everyone on an even keel. It doesn't work perfectly. I think you already know that. Now that you don't have that inhibitor anymore, you may experience all your emotions much more keenly than you did before. You'll need to learn how to keep a lid on them when displaying them would be inappropriate or distracting."

"I never knew they could be so strong."

"Now you know. You'll be a more complete person now. More the Icheb you were born to be. Giving up your cortical node might have seemed a big sacrifice to you at first. Losing that telepathy thing with Seven _is_ a loss, but gaining the ability to experience emotions more fully will more than make for that, once you learn how to handle them."

"If I haven't lost all my Borg memories, I don't mind letting Seven have my node. She needed it. I really don't."

"No, you don't. You should be proud of yourself, Icheb. You gave her a part of yourself, a form of organ transplant, you could say."

"What is an organ transplant?"

"A few centuries ago they used to be fairly common on Earth. Before medicine became as sophisticated as it is now, when many organs can be repaired, regrown, or replaced with synthetic ones when necessary, the only way for a person to live after organ failure was to receive a replacement donated by someone else. People volunteered to have their healthy organs removed after death, and surgeons could use one of those to save someone. That's the only way a person could get a heart transplant, for example, because we only have one heart and need it to live. But human beings have two kidneys, and a living person could donate one of theirs without dying. While some donors were strangers, many times a family member would donate one of their kidneys to save the life of a relative."

"Do you think that's what I did for Seven?"

"It doesn't matter what I think, Icheb. What do you think?"

"I don't know. I'm not a stranger to Seven, but I'm not her family member, either."

"In a way, everyone on _Voyager_ is part of the family, Icheb. But don't you think Seven is more to you than just another part of the _Voyager_ family? Didn't you just prove it by making her take your cortical node, even when she said she didn't want it?"

"I owe her my life. She saved me from the Borg cube, and again when she asked the captain to go back to check on me, and you found my parents had sent me back to the Borg. She is more my family than Leucon and Yifay ever were."

"I have to agree with you there, Icheb. I don't think she'd ever admit it, especially if I'm around, but she made the captain go back because she cares for you very much - like a mother does. She lost another child once, so she knows what mother love means."

"You mean Mezoti?"

"Well, her, too; but I'm talking about One. The Borg drone who lived and died in only a few days on board _Voyager._ That happened a couple of years before you came on board, so maybe you never heard of him."

Icheb pondered this for several seconds. "I remember reading about him in the logs. You think she feels about me the way she did about One?"

"Yeah, I do, but maybe you should talk to her about it. She's not the type to let you know unless you ask her directly."

Icheb's smile slowly spread across his face, into a broad grin. "Agreed."

"Well, I guess I'd better let you rest before the Doc gets on my back about me keeping you up with my 'ceaseless chatter' and preventing you from getting your 'beauty sleep'."

"I will go to sleep now. But Tom . . ."

"Mm-hmm?"

"Thanks."

The chief helmsman of _Voyager_ , who tonight was on duty in Sickbay as field medic, grinned back at the young man. "Any time, Icheb. Any time."

=/\=

His eyes might have still been closed, but Icheb was waking up. At first he wondered if he was dreaming what the Doctor was saying, but then he realized the simplest explanation was the best. He actually had heard the Doctor admit, "His road to recovery has been a little bumpier than yours."

The person the Doctor had been addressing spoke next. Icheb smiled inside as he heard Seven hesitantly ask, "Has he suffered any permanent damage?"

"I don't think so. He's been experiencing some pain, but I believe it's temporary."

"Pain I caused him," Seven replied, her voice trembling very slightly to Icheb's sharp sense of hearing.

"Pain he was willing to endure," the Doctor reminded her.

Icheb decided that feigning sleep no longer was appropriate and opened his eyes. Seven was bending over him, and her face was the first thing he saw - a much healthier face, without any trace of tearing skin or metallic endoskeleton to mar her looks. "You've recovered," he said, his voice still a little weak and shaky from his ordeal.

"I expect the same from you."

"The Doctor wants to keep me here another week, but I'm sure I'll be back on my feet in half that time."

"I suggest you get as much rest as you can. You're going to need it."

"Why?"

"I've decided to help you prepare for the Astrometrics portion of the Academy exam. You can expect a rigorous and grueling schedule."

Icheb felt elated. She was back to normal. Almost normal, because he suddenly noticed something that had occurred at the very beginning of this rough journey that had landed both of them onto operating tables. "Seven . . . Your ocular implant - it's malfunctioning again."

The Doctor quickly scanned Seven, and then broke into a smile. "Actually . . . it's functioning perfectly."

As Seven wiped the tears from her eyes, Icheb felt a warmth come over him. He noted a mix of emotions again, but now he could name them all. Relief. Happiness. Anticipation for a future that, for a while, seemed dim and lonely. And love for a mother - something Yifay had never deserved, but Seven most certainly did.

=/\=

Lieutenant Torres visited Sickbay one evening. Tom was "Mr. Paris" that night, covering for the EMH while he engaged in one of his many hobbies on the holodeck - a sure sign the Doctor felt Icheb's medical issues were well under control.

Lieutenant Torres's presence was not unexpected. Whenever she was free on nights Tom served as "the Doctor's nurse," she came by for a little while to spend time with her husband. When she arrived, Icheb was sitting up on his biobed, chatting with Tom. "You seem to be well on the road to recovery, Icheb," she said, after giving her husband a quick pat on the buttocks that Icheb pretended not to see.

"The Doctor informed me he will release me from Sickbay in the morning, just in time for our long-range communication tomorrow."

"Yes, I know about that. Say hello to them for me, okay?"

"I will, Lieutenant." He looked down briefly. "There will be much to say, and not much time, but I'll make sure to tell her. I mean, them." No one said anything for several seconds, and Icheb felt the need to change the subject to something he'd wanted to learn more about, even before his operation. "Lieutenant Torres, I know Seven 'hid out' with you in Engineering, when she'd slipped out of Sickbay. What did you talk about? Seven won't tell me. The Doctor won't, either."

"If Seven won't tell you, I shouldn't, either. It falls under the engineer-to-engineer privacy protocols."

"I never heard of those before." Tom tried, but failed, to control breaking into laughter.

Lieutenant Torres elbowed him in the midsection (very gently, Icheb noticed) but then corrected herself. "Woman-to-woman privacy protocols, then." She took in the disappointed expression Icheb knew must be on his face and relented. "We compared notes about certain beliefs about the afterlife. You've heard about what happened to me a couple of years ago, right? When I went to Sto-Vo-Kor because of my mother's death?"

Icheb had heard about it. He wondered if Lieutenant Torres had been dreaming it all, but he decided it would be tactful if he didn't say anything about that. His response to the chief engineer was a bland, "Yes."

"Well, we talked a bit about what happens to the memories of an individual who dies. She mentioned that a drone's memories are retained in the Collective, even after the drone dies."

"That's true," Icheb said, but amending his response to, "Usually true. From the time we became individuals, our new memories aren't retained in the Collective mind. And in my case, I don't think any of my memories were saved. The Queen cut off our cube from the rest of the Collective once all the adult drones had died; and after we came on board _Voyager_ , the cube was destroyed. No one will remember what happened to me when I was Borg."

"Yes, we will, because we rescued you," Tom pointed out. "And we recorded that incident in our logs. The official ones, certainly, but in many personal ones, too. I know it's included in mine. During the last few datastream transmissions, we've sent all those log entries on to Starfleet. Your presence on _Voyager_ , and on the cube, is part of Starfleet history now. As long as Starfleet lasts, that part of your story will be known. Any log entries you choose to make to record your own feelings and thoughts will become part of the 'collective consciousness' of Starfleet, too, if you want to think about it that way."

Lieutenant Torres smiled up at her husband. "Your thoughts and feelings certainly are, Tom. You spend enough time recording your personal log every day."

"Do you have a personal log, Icheb?" Tom asked, squeezing one of his wife's hands lightly in a secret form of communication only the two of them understood.

"Not yet. Mezoti recorded her thoughts in her 'diary,' because Naomi told her about the one she keeps."

"It might be a good idea if you did that, too, Icheb. Your life has already been eventful, and you're only, what? Fourteen? Sixteen?"

"I believe I may be even younger than that, in years. I don't look it because of my time with the Borg. I never learned the date of my birth when I was with the Brunali."

"Well, if you want to be able to speak to future generations, you should start one. Write your memoirs, even. If you ever published it, I'd read it!" Tom exclaimed.

Icheb shrugged his shoulders.

Lieutenant Torres added, "Seven should keep one, too, if she's so concerned about being forgotten. She doesn't have to worry about that, though. I told her she was a lot more memorable to all of us than she thinks, if she thought we'd forget her that easily."

"Seven keeps a personal log already. She uses Borg alphanumerics to make it hard for anyone to understand it if they hack into it," Icheb said.

"Ah. Well. That's our Seven!" laughed the chief engineer.

The Doctor materialized in Sickbay to the sound of Lieutenant Torres laughter. "Hmmph. I might have known I'd find you in here, bothering my patient. Icheb, you need to rest! If you overexert yourself, the healing process will be delayed. I may decide not to release you from Sickbay tomorrow after all."

"We made sure he didn't overdo it, Doc. Once I've made my end-of-shift report to you, we'll be going home." Tom turned back to Icheb. "I'll see you tomorrow. He's right, you know. You do need to rest. You want to be able to participate in your 'phone call' tomorrow."

Icheb murmured his thanks. Tom left to give his report to the Doctor, but Lieutenant Torres remained behind. She leaned in a little closer to Icheb and said, in a very soft voice, "After Seven and I had our little chat, the Doctor burst in on us and wanted to force her back to Sickbay. Of course, she didn't want to go. I don't know what the Doctor thought I'd make her do. Maybe he imagined I'd let her dangle from the top of the warp core with a hyperspanner in her hand, or something! Anyway, once I promised him I'd make sure she wouldn't overdo it, he allowed Seven to remain in Engineering. I didn't let her do anything strenuous. She just worked at a console for a while, analyzing diagnostics as my staff sent them to her. It was a lot better for her to be doing something useful instead of sitting in here doing nothing. Spending time in Sickbay is no fun. I guess you know that by now!" Icheb grinned up at her, nodding in agreement. "Anyway, I kept her busy for a while so she had something to think about other than imminent death."

"Thank you for explaining that, Lieutenant. Did Seven thank you for protecting her?"

"Actually, she did, Icheb. Now, before the Doctor comes back and starts in on me again, I'll say good night, too."

"Good night, Lieutenant."

=/\=


	33. Family

=/\=

The corridors were familiar. Why did they feel so different?

He was different.

If he ever did see Mezoti in person again, he would no longer be able to communicate subvocally with her. He'd lost that ability by giving Seven his cortical node, yet sacrificing it meant nothing to him now. Seven was well. He was getting better. Even the Doctor seemed to be pleased by his progress when he released him from Sickbay. Of course, the Doctor sternly admonished him, as he left, "Take it easy, Icheb, and for goodness sake, stay out of Engineering! Who knows what Lieutenant Torres will allow you to do? You need to finish healing, young man! No overexerting yourself, in any capacity!"

He didn't have to ask what that was all about, thanks to his conversation with Lieutenant Torres. Icheb began to chuckle softly. Seven turned towards him, with a concerned wrinkle in her brow. "Are you having a relapse?"

"No, Seven. I just thought the Doctor was acting like . . . like the Doctor. He can be very funny sometimes."

"Yes, he can be humorous. Also obtrusive and _much_ too inquisitive. You _are_ well enough for our subspace transmission?"

"Of course. I will make an effort not to look like I just came from a biobed in Sickbay. Even though I just did."

Seven looked at him askance, but she did not pursue the matter. They'd arrived at their destination.

They entered Astrometrics together. Ensign Kim was at the console. "Hey, Icheb! You're looking much better today. Feel up to this?"

"It's today or not for a very long time," Icheb replied. Mentally, he added, "or never," but chose not to vocalize that part of his response. They'd come to Astrometrics to speak with Mezoti, Azan, and Rebi over subspace for the last time. Within an hour or two, _Voyager_ would no longer be in range of face-to-face transmission with Wysanti, and Icheb was eager to speak with her one more time. Ensign Kim, Lieutenant Torres, and Seven had discussing methods of making subspace transmissions functional at greater distances by adapting some of the Pathfinder Project's discoveries, but it might take years to develop that technology. Practically speaking, this could be the last time they spoke together through any mode of communication. It saddened him to think this, but it was how it had to be. Mezoti had made her choice, just as Icheb had made his. What if Icheb had not survived the Doctor's surgery to transfer his cortical node to Seven? And if it had not worked for her, Seven might have died, too. If Mezoti had decided to remain on _Voyager_ , who would care for her? It _was_ dangerous on a ship, especially now.

The Antarean Ambassador O'Zaal had warned the captain about this part of the Delta Quadrant. From the planet of the Wysanti onward, this area had been in dispute for a long time, even longer than the discord which existed among the systems that had celebrated their recent treaty with the Antarean Transtellar Rally. Everyone on _Voyager_ was aware of this.

Whether Mezoti's decision was right or wrong, Icheb knew he would always miss her. His sister. He wondered if she felt the same way, if she thought of him as her brother.

Ensign Kim had to work the controls for several minutes after Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay arrived before successfully making visual contact with Wysanti. When the faces of Mezoti, Azan, and Rebi appeared, with the grandparents standing in the background, Icheb felt relief mixed with an undeniable sadness. They all looked so well. Azan and Rebi were as verbally reticent as ever, greeting them briefly, answering a few questions about their school and their activities (sports, almost exclusively, from what Mazani said), and then asked to be excused because they were due to meet their new friends to attend a sporting competition. Once the twins left, the grandparents discreetly moved out of visual range of the communication device to allow Mezoti to speak freely.

She enjoyed her new school. She'd made great progress in learning the Wysanti language, but she was continuing her studies in Federation Standard as well as Borg Alphanumerics. _:::My teacher says you never know when you might need to use another language. Arebi agrees with her.:::_ She was studying ant colonies native to the planet in the wild, with specially placed sensing devices and cameras, instead of keeping them inside a glass ant farm. _:::Ants always seem to have queens. Isn't that interesting? Perhaps the Borg Collective originated with a race of giant ants,:::_ she said this with a straight face but mischievously dancing eyes. Icheb laughed. He might not be able to communicate subvocally any more (and wouldn't have been able to anyway, from so far away), but he could still tell when Mezoti was joking.

They visited for over an hour. If Mezoti noticed Icheb had little to share with her, other than the fact that he was taking the Academy Entrance Examination in six days, she didn't mention it. Details weren't important, not really. What mattered was seeing their smart and "sassy" Mezoti, as Lieutenant Paris often described her.

Once Ensign Kim called out that the signal from Wysanti was beginning to weaken, the captain sent wishes for a wonderful, successful future to them all. The commander seconded those sentiments, and both stepped away towards the door, leaving the remaining minutes of contact to take place between Seven, Icheb, and Mezoti.

Mezoti's face had been alive with enthusiasm while she spoke about her new life on Wysanti, but now it changed completely. Her eyes drooped, her mouth trembled, and her shoulders slumped slightly. _::: This wasn't long enough. I had so much more I wanted to say to you. I miss you every day. I even . . . cry sometimes. I do like it here. Mazani and Arebi are very nice to me, but I wish I could have stayed with you.:::_ She sniffed, and Icheb could see a few tears glittering in Mezoti's eyes, despite the distortions in the communication viewscreen. She wiped them away before turning her attention to Icheb, admonishing him, _:::You look very tired, Icheb. You must be working too hard on your studies.:::_

He glanced quickly over at Seven. Her eyes were cast down at the floor. Icheb had to answer Mezoti. "I had a slight . . . medical problem, Mezoti. The Doctor gave me treatments in Sickbay for a few days, but I'm much better now. I promise I'll take good care of myself . . . if you will promise to take good care of yourself, too. Don't forget us, Mezoti."

 _:::I couldn't ever do that, Icheb. Seven. Tell everyone on_ Voyager _I miss them. Tell Naomi especial . . . :::_

Mezoti's image blinked suddenly away as the audio transmission hissed into silence. A field of stars was all that was visible on the viewscreen. Ensign Kim fiddled with the controls for a few minutes, but then he shook his head. "We've lost contact. We're too far away. Icheb, Seven, if you'd like to send a written message to say good-bye, since you didn't get a chance today, we'll still be able to do that for several weeks, but a real-time visual isn't possible anymore."

"Thank you for your efforts, Ensign Kim. Thank you for making this possible, Captain."

"It was a pleasure for me to see her, too, Seven. She looks happy."

Mezoti did look happy, Icheb thought. As much as he missed her, Icheb was sure she was turning into a fearless individual who could appreciate and utilize humor in her life. He hoped Mazani and Arebi understood and accepted how special she was. She deserved a loving home.

At this thought, Icheb glanced towards Seven. While they'd been able to view Mezoti's image, Seven had smiled slightly, in that way she had, with more communicated through the expression of her biological eye - and, somehow, through the prosthetic left eye, as well - than by the upturning of lips. He wondered if Mezoti had noticed the tear drifting down Seven's right cheek towards the end of their communication, once they knew it was about to come to an end.

He was sure Seven felt as he did about Mezoti. They both loved her. They might be parted physically now, but they were still connected in ways only those who had lived as Borg could fully appreciate. At that moment, Icheb vowed to do anything he could, once he was in Starfleet, to find a way to travel back this way, so he could see Mezoti again.

=/\=

The conversation with Mezoti was the catalyst. Icheb had to address one subject with Seven that evening. "Seven, are we a family?"

For several minutes, Seven was silent, but finally she said, "We are."

"Part of _Voyager's_ family, or a family made up of the two of us, like Naomi and her mother, or Aimee and Marla?"

"Samantha and Naomi Wildman are mother and daughter. So are Marla Gilmore and Aimee, but they are also part of _Voyager's_ family, even though they each form their own small family group. I would assess our relationship as being much the same as theirs."

"Seven, you know I will never choose to leave _Voyager_ now, the way Mezoti did."

"We will all need to leave _Voyager_ when the ship arrives in the Alpha Quadrant."

"But that will not happen for a very long time. I hope not, anyway. I don't ever want to leave you, Seven."

"It is likely you and I will remain here on _Voyager_ for a very long time, but you are growing rapidly into an adult. In time, you will not need me to guide you as I have up to now. You will have a life of your own to lead."

Icheb's gaze flitted all around Cargo Bay Two, their "Borg Central" home. "I don't believe that's completely true. While I will live independently as an adult someday, I will always want to gain your opinion concerning events happening in my life. Even adults sometimes need guidance from their families, don't they? You're the only one who has ever truly cared for me. To my biological parents, I was always just the means to an end."

Seven met his steady gaze. "I have been your teacher and your mentor, but you are speaking of something else, aren't you? Of the ties of parents with their children."

"I am."

"Let me say this. As long as I am alive, you will have a home with me, in the same way Naomi Wildman will have a home with her mother Samantha. Just as Aimee will always have a home with Marla Gilmore. Naomi's mother gave birth to her. Marla Gilmore is adopting Aimee. Do you wish to formalize our relationship, in the process Marla Gilmore is utilizing for Aimee?"

"You mean adopt me? Are you old enough to be my mother?"

"I'm an adult, which is a requirement for a person to adopt. While you are no longer a small child, you are not yet legally an adult. I've read the literature about adoption. A large gap in years between the parent and the adopted child is not specified. At times, older siblings adopt younger ones when their parents are gone. Our relationship has always been much like an older sister mentoring a younger brother, and both of us are without parents."

The idea that Seven had "read the literature" concerning adoption pleased Icheb more than he was willing to say, but rather than mention this, he observed, "In my case, that is not strictly true. My parents are alive, Seven. At least, I assume they're still alive."

"The fact they still live doesn't matter, Icheb. By their own actions, they gave you up by abandoning you to the Borg - twice. Even on Earth, parents don't always care for their children the way they should, and another family is allowed to adopt them. You may be almost grown, but we can still legally form a family, if you wish it."

"You said I would always have a home with you. Would adoption make that official?"

"It would."

"Then yes. I would like you to adopt me." Icheb smiled his shy, gentle smile, matched seconds later by a similar expression on Seven's face.

"If you prefer, after you are adopted, you may still call me Seven. But once I am your mother, you are _NOT_ to go against my wishes like you did when you disconnected your cortical node!"

"I no longer have a cortical node to disconnect, Seven, but even if I did, I hope we never have to face a choice as terrible as that one again."

Seven put her arms around Icheb and embraced him. Tears fell from her eyes, greater in number than the ones he'd seen on her face in Sickbay, when they were reunited after their transplant surgeries. Her tears were not the result of an ocular implant malfunction, any more than the ones falling from Icheb's were a sign his eyes were damaged. They sprang from their feelings for one another. As the EMH might have said, their eyes were "functioning perfectly."

=/\=

That night, for the first time, a new personal log was established, to be sent through the next datastream and archived by Starfleet in the annals of _USS Voyager._

 _Personal Log, Stardate 54175.4_

 _My name is Icheb, a Brunali who lives in Cargo Bay Two of_ Voyager _with Seven of Nine, who is also known as Annika Hansen. Tonight, she promised to officially adopt me through Starfleet and Federation legal proceedings._

 _Lieutenant Thomas Paris and Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres suggested I should maintain a personal log of my thoughts and emotional status. Most Starfleet officers do this on a regular basis. Since I am planning to make Starfleet my career, I believe it would be to my benefit to follow this practice from now on. This is the initial entry in my personal log._

 _Cargo Bay Two is referred to as "Borg Central" by most of_ Voyager's _crew. That is because Seven, who was assimilated by the Borg at the age of six years, has lived here for the past three years, ever since she was severed from the Collective. For the last several months, I have lived here, too, since I was rescued from a dying Borg cube. I once had two brothers and a sister who were rescued with me from the same Borg vessel, but they no longer reside here with us. Azan and Rebi are twins of the Wysanti species. Their grandparents are raising them on their home planet. Mezoti is Norcadi by birth, but Arebi and Mazani are raising her now, too._

 _I am happy for the twins. They deserve to live with their relatives. I miss Mezoti very much. We spoke to her through a subspace communication today. She seems happy, but I think she could have been just as happy living with Seven and me on_ Voyager. _I have learned that all individuals make choices in life, however, and staying on Wysanti was Mezoti's._

 _I cannot record any personal memories about my life on Brunal before my assimilation by the Borg. I have none. I do have a few from a brief . . . visit . . . shortly after I arrived on_ Voyager _. The story of that visit is a difficult one to relate, but if this is to be a true personal log, I must be honest and record the painful, as well as the pleasurable and exciting._

 _But to begin, when I woke up on the Borg cube for the first time, I did not know who or what I was. Nothing made any sense . . . ._

=/\=

End

=/\=


End file.
